


EOTW: Book Six: Silent Sacrifice

by Jayie_The_Hufflepuff



Series: Warriors: Series 5.5: Echoes of the War [6]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-08-31 20:30:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 116,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8592421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff/pseuds/Jayie_The_Hufflepuff
Summary: Sixth and final book in the EOTW series. Breeze has been defeated, and the Clans have reclaimed their home. But as the Clans struggle to survive a vicious leafbare, their greatest enemy yet prepares to return. Silentstorm must finally make her sacrifice, but what will it cost her to stand against the darkness? And in the end, will it be enough, or will darkness consume the light?





	1. Allegiances

Silent Sacrifice Allegiances

BOOK 6

 

**THUNDERCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

BRAMBLESTAR – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

SQUIRRELFLIGHT – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

LEAFPOOL – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, FINCHWING

**WARRIORS**

LIONBLAZE – golden tabby tom with amber eyes  
CINDERHEART – gray tabby she-cat  
TOADSTEP – black-and-white tom  
ROSEPETAL – dark cream she-cat  
BADGERCLOUD – big black-and-white tom with heavily scarred muzzle and ice-blue eyes, formerly a rogue  
    APPRENTICE, BEETLEPAW  
BUMBLESTRIPE – very pale gray tom with black stripes  
DOVEWING – pale gray she-cat with golden eyes  
    APPRENTICE, STORMPAW  
IVYPOOL – silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes  
MOLEFOOT – brown-and-cream tom  
LILYFROST – dark tabby she-cat with white patches  
    APPRENTICE, GRAYPAW  
COSIMA – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, formerly a kittypet  
    APPRENTICE, ANTPAW  
SNOWFALL – white tom with amber eyes  
BLAZEHEART – pale ginger tabby tom with green eyes  
    APPRENTICE, DUSKPAW  
SPARKTAIL – dark cream-and-white tom  
LIGHTFOOT – light brown tom with white paws  
SKYSTRIPE – pale gray tom with a darker stripe  
    APPRENTICE, FOXPAW  
RIPPLEWING – gray tabby tom with pale blue eyes  
    APPRENTICE, RUSSETPAW  
SUNNYFLOWER – pale ginger she- cat with green eyes  
SHADOWSTRIPE – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, YEWPAW  
REDLEAF – red-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
LITTLEDAISY – long-haired yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes, formerly from the horseplace

**APPRENTICES**

FINCHWING – pale golden tabby tom with white  
DUSKPAW – tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes  
GRAYPAW – fluffy gray she-cat with white  
STORMPAW – fluffy pale gray tabby tom  
FOXPAW – fluffy reddish-brown tabby she-cat with white and with green eyes  
RUSSETPAW – ginger tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
ANTPAW – tiny black tom  
BEETLEPAW – white she-cat with silver patches and blue eyes  
YEWPAW – dark gray tabby she-cat with white and with amber eyes

**QUEENS**

AMBERTALON – very small gray-and-white she-cat, mother of Blazeheart's kit (Wrenkit, a pale gray-brown tabby she-cat with white and with pale green eyes)  
SILENTSTORM – black she-cat with a white stripe, mother of Lightfoot's kits (Jaykit, a light brown tabby she-cat with white and with gray eyes, and Screechkit, a black she-cat with pale amber eyes)  
LIGHTNINGSTRIKE – light ginger tabby she-cat, former rogue (mother of Mousekit, a dark ginger tabby she-cat with white paws and chest, and Oatkit, a pale brown tabby tom with pale green eyes)  
SEEDLIGHT – very pale ginger she-cat, mother of Sparktail's kits

**ELDERS**

MILLIE – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
BRIGHTHEART – white she-cat with ginger patches  
SORRELTAIL – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes  
SPIDERLEG – long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes  
HAZELTAIL – gray-and-white she-cat

**SHADOWCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

TIGERSTAR – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

OLIVENOSE – tortoiseshell she-cat

**MEDICINE CAT**

TWIGCLAW – stump-tailed brown tabby tom

**WARRIORS**

VINESCAR – big gray-and-white tabby tom with long scar across his neck  
SNOWBIRD – pure white she-cat, formerly a rogue  
    APPRENTICE, TAWNYPAW  
BUFFY – long-haired cream she-cat with dark points and blue eyes  
    APPRENTICE, CREAMPAW  
DAWNPELT – cream-furred she-cat  
MINTLEAF – dark ginger she-cat with ice-blue eyes  
PEPPERPELT – gray tom with darker flecks and yellow eyes  
ODDTAIL – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with no tail  
TIGERLILY – dark brown tabby she-cat with pale green eyes, former rogue  
PINENOSE – black she-cat  
FOXFOOT – lanky pale ginger tabby she-cat with white and with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SNOWPAW  
STONECLAW – pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes, formerly a rogue  
MARSHCLOUD – small black-and-white she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, SAFFRONPAW  
MOTHEAR – small gray tabby tom with large ears  
    APPRENTICE, CINDERPAW  
STOATSTRIKE – ginger tabby she-cat with very short legs  
ADDERTOOTH – dappled gray tom with green eyes  
STRIPEDCLAW – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, GINGERPAW  
GRAYCLOUD – dark gray tom with blue eyes  
NIGHTMOSS – black she-cat with pale green eyes  
ASPENLILY – torbie she-cat with one yellow eye and one green eye  
BIRDSTEP – a long-haired cream tom with very dark brown points  
DUSTYFACE – long-haired white tom with pale brown points  
GRAYTAIL – long-haired white she-cat with pale gray-blue points  
SHILO – long-haired cream she-cat with dark brown points  
TULIPFALL – long-haired white she-cat with light ginger points

**QUEENS**

SMOKEFLIGHT – dark cream she-cat with green eyes, mother of Addertooth's kits (Applekit, a pale red-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes, Pinekit, a gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes, and Spiderkit, a thin black tom with golden eyes)  
MINKTAIL – pale brown tabby she-cat, mother of Stripedclaw's kit (Brightkit, a white she-cat with dark amber eyes, Sprucekit, a light brown tabby tom with thick fur and yellow eyes, and Duskkit, a dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes)  
SPECKLEFOOT – pale tortoiseshell she-cat  
DEWFROST – gray she-cat

**ELDERS**

RATSCAR – brown tom with long scar across his back

 

**WINDCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

HEATHERSTAR – light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, foster mother of Scorch's kits (Ashkit, a large pale gray tom with one white paw, Eaglekit, a tiny black she-cat with a white-tipped tail, and Firekit, a flame-colored tabby she-cat with white and with amber eyes)

**DEPUTY**

LARKSONG – gray she-cat with green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

KESTRELFLIGHT – mottled brown tom  
    APPRENTICE, ICEFUR

**WARRIORS**

EMBERFOOT – gray tom with two darker paws  
SUNSTRIKE – tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on her forehead  
CROUCHFOOT – black tom  
NIGHTFERN – brown mottled she-cat with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SHARDPAW  
WETWHISKER – dark tabby tom, formerly of ShadowClan  
RUNNINGLEAF – gray she-cat with green eyes  
     APPRENTICE, GORSEPAW  
QUICKHARE – pale brown tabby tom  
    APPRENTICE, FLINTPAW  
HAWKBRIAR – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat  
SORRELSPIKE – brown-and-white tabby tom with spiky fur  
TUNNELSHADE – dark ginger-and-white tabby tom  
SPARROWCLOUD – small white tom with yellow eyes, former rogue  
     APPRENTICE, THICKETPAW  
PALESTRIPE – pale brown tabby she-cat with very pale stripes and white front paws  
BEECHLEAF – pale gray tabby tom with amber eyes  
SPARROWFALL – dark gray-and-white tabby tom with ice-blue eyes

**QUEENS**

HONEYHEART – golden-brown tabby-and-white she-cat, mother of Quickhare's kits (Cricketkit, a light brown tabby tom with green eyes, Harekit, a gray-brown tabby tom with white and with yellow eyes, Mothkit, a golden-brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and paws and green eyes, and Tawnykit, a tawny tabby she-cat with white paws and amber eyes)  
DARKBREEZE – dark gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Cosmo's kits

**ELDERS**

NIGHTCLOUD – black she-cat, former rogue  
GORSETAIL – very pale gray-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

 

**RIVERCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

MISTYSTAR – blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

**DEPUTY**

REEDWHISKER – black tom

**MEDICINE CAT**

WILLOWSHINE – gray tabby she-cat  
    APPRENTICE, DUSTDAPPLE (dappled brown tabby tom with pale green eyes)

**WARRIORS**

DUSKFUR – brown tabby she-cat  
MINNOWTAIL – dark gray she-cat  
     APPRENTICE, POPPYPAW  
ROBINWING – tortoiseshell-and-white tom  
     APPRENTICE, GRAYPAW  
HURRICANE – black tom with yellow eyes, former rogue  
     APPRENTICE, DEWPAW  
GRASSPELT – light brown tom  
HERONSTRIKE – brown tabby tom  
     APPRENTICE, ROSEPAW  
SILVERSHINE – silver tabby she-cat  
PONDBREEZE – dark brown tom with white paws  
YARROWLEAF – gray-brown tabby tom with bright yellow eyes  
FINSTRIKE – sleek dark gray she-cat with dark amber eyes  
EELTOOTH – sleek dark gray tom with pale amber eyes  
LAKEBIRD – gray-blue tom with green eyes  
     APPRENTICE, PIKEPAW  
SWANFALL – fluffy white she-cat with golden eyes  
     APPRENTICE, MOSSYPAW  
SLUSHFOOT – fluffy very pale gray-and-white tom with dark amber eyes  
     APPRENTICE, PEBBLEPAW  
SCALESHINE – tortoiseshell she-cat with a white chest and amber eyes  
STEAMFROST – dark gray tabby tom with a white chest and ice-blue eyes  
CLOUDSHADE – dark gray tabby tom with dark amber eyes

**QUEENS**

LEAFDRIFT – pale gray she-cat, mother of Pondbreeze's kits (Brookkit, a light brown tabby tom with white and with green eyes, and Cragkit, a stone gray she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes)  
SWANFALL – white she-cat with golden eyes, mother of Lakebird's kits

**ELDERS**

GRAYMIST – pale gray tabby she-cat  
MAISIE – elderly small fluffy calico she-cat with pale blue eyes, formerly a kittypet

 

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN**

 

FLOSS – small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplacey  
LITTLE WHISKERS – young long-haired gray tom who lives at the horseplace  
SCORCH – huge pale gray she-cat with golden eyes  
OAKTOOTH – large light brown tabby tom with a broken tooth and green eyes, rogue  
CHIPMUNK – small light brown tabby tom with amber eyes, rogue  
RIZZO – very thin black she-cat with a curly pelt and green eyes, kittypet  
COSMO – vibrant ginger tabby tom with white and with green eyes, kittypet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Just realized I'd forgotten to put Seedlight in the nursery. How very odd. But anyway, she's there now.
> 
> And here it finally is. Agh, I feel so weird posting this, I feel kind of anxious. I was already anxious tonight, but this isn't helping. I'm both excited, and anxious, and sad that this is the last book in the main EOTW series.
> 
> Here's the allegiances for our last book. There's going to be a moon and a half time skip from the end of COTF to the first chapter of this book, so you can see some changes in the allegiances reflecting that time having passed. Including some she-cats who have moved into the nursery... ;)
> 
> Our title for book six is Silent Sacrifice, as you can see, which is a clear reference to the main prophecy of the series. ^^ This is also the only title, other than Faded Boundaries, which has not been changed at all since I first came up with it. All of the other titles underwent at least one change before I decided on the final version, but I just jumped right into writing FB before I could think of a better title (wish I had). As for this one, I always knew that this was going to be the title. It references the prophecy, and it strikes the ominous tone I wanted. We're finally getting down to wrapping up the prophecy, and the series. Are you guys ready? I'm not sure that I am. But I'm posting the prologue in just a minute, so we're starting anyway.


	2. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As battle rages on the moorland, one cat slinks away...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Prologue

     The still calm of the early leaf-fall night was broken by the howls and screams of battle. Dark shadows fell over the hollow, the starts beginning to twinkle weakly overhead. In the darkness, forms were writhing and twisting and clawing, their eyes blazing with the light of battle, claws and fangs flashing as cats wailed their agony. This wasn't some little border skirmish. The entire hollow was covered in cats, and they were locked in a bloody battle to the death.

     But one cat had left the vicious slaughter behind her. A gray she-cat stumbled away from the hollow, seeming oblivious to the shrieks and cries behind her. Thick blood was plastered against the fur of her neck, steadily pulsing from an open gash. Her golden gaze was glazed with pain, her paws stumbling as she pushed herself blindly forward. The agony of her wounds was overwhelming, but the she-cat knew that to stay where she was meant death. One paw was moved blindly in front of the other in a slow, agonizing struggle to get to safety.

     Finally, the shrieks of battle fell away behind the she-cat was she trudged through the moorland. Every step sent agony shooting through her wounded neck, but she forced herself to keep going, nearly stumbling as her paws carried her down a sloping hill. She didn't stop until her paws nearly tripped over a small ditch beneath a clump of heather.

     Gritting her teeth against the pain, the she-cat pulled herself into the ditch, slithering gracelessly onto her belly as the last of her energy left her. The she-cat groaned as agony pulsed through her wounded neck. She was barely awake now, her mind in a blinding haze of pain. The she-cat tried to summon the hate that had kept her strong for so many moons, but there was nothing in her heart but terror. _Is this how I die?_ she wondered, barely conscious enough to form full thoughts. Her vision swam and swayed, the starlit heather blurring as her world began to go dark. _But it can't end this way. There's more I have to do._ Try as she might, she couldn't keep herself awake any longer. With a final whimper, she closed her eyes, feeling her consciousness slip away.

     For several moments, there was nothing. Then, the she-cat found herself in a forest. She blinked, taking a step back in surprise. The wound that had overpowered her was gone. Now, the she-cat stood, all of her power and strength restored. She took a step forward, testing her body, but there was no pain anymore. Relieved, but wary, she began to look at the forest around her.

     It wasn't a forest like she'd ever seen before. The trees overhead cast sharp, ominous shadows on the ground, which was wet and marsh-like underpaw. The stench of rotting wood hung all around her, and though there was no wind, the she-cat felt a chill working through her, all the way to the bone. Most disturbing of all was the inky expanse above her. There were no stars at all speckling the night sky above, just the flat blackness of night. The she-cat felt her pelt bristling, unease creeping through her pelt.

     The gray she-cat was distracted from the sight of the starless sky by the sudden feeling of something cool against her pelt. She glanced down, surprised to see mist wrapping itself around her. It wasn't like any mist she'd seen before. The mist had a bluish tinge, almost seeming to carry its own light. There was something about the way it moved; it was like it was a living creature, dipping and weaving like a cat around her pelt. The she-cat lowered her muzzle, sniffing curiously at the mist – only to recoil in shock as it spoke.

     “Greetings, Scorch.”

     With a gasp, the she-cat threw her head back, hackles bristling. The voice seemed to be coming from the mist, which quivered lightly as it spoke. But it was impossible. “Who's there?” she growled, swinging her head from side to side.

     The mist brushed against her, like a pelt pressing against her own. “Someone who can help you,” the voice purred. The voice was unlike any feline voice Scorch had heard. It was trying to sound soothing, but it was sharper than any cat's voice, like the crackling of a flame. “You would do well to listen to what I have to say, Scorch.”

     The she-cat pinned her ears back. “How do you know my name?” she growled, lashing her tail.

     “I know many things,” the voice told her. “I know how well you have served Breeze.” Scorch's ear flicked at the mention of her leader, but she didn't comment. “I know where you come from.” The mist pressed closer against her, the voice whispering into her ear as it purred, “I know the hatred in your heart. And I know about your mother, and how she betrayed you.”

     Rage blazed through Scorch at the mention of her mother. She had to fight to keep her pelt from bristling, or her claws from tearing into the dirt, imagining it was the pelt of the family that had betrayed her. She had to focus right now. Once she had reigned in her anger, she hissed through gritted teeth, “Who are you? What do you want with me?”

     The mist slowed as it circled her, seeming to pause for a moment. “My name is Shade.”

     Scorch blinked in surprise. The name was familiar to her. Breeze had told her about the powerful spirit that dwelled in the Dark Forest, who had given him the wisdom he needed to destroy the Clans. She had imagined Shade to be a cat, a dead warrior just like all the others in the Dark Forest; she hadn't expected this. “Alright,” Scorch growled slowly. “If you're Shade, then this is the Dark Forest.” A new thought occurred to her, leaving her blood chilled. She remembered how she had slipped off into sleep while her neck wound continued to pulse with blood. “Am I dead?” she breathed.

     For a few moments, there was silence. “That depends on you, Scorch,” Shade finally said.

     The massive she-cat flicked her ears back warily. “What do you mean?”

     Shade's voice had taken on a new tone, no longer the teasing purr of before. Now, she sounded more serious. “Your injuries were grave, indeed. It would be all too easy to let yourself slip away.” Something in her tone seemed to grow more urgent as she continued, “Or, you can get up, find a way to survive, and get your revenge. Breeze told me about your intelligence, and your strength – I think I will have need of that, now that Breeze and his rogues are defeated.”

     Scorch stiffened in surprise. She had fled the battle in the hollow before it had ended. Before she'd left, her campmates were winning. “The Clans won?” she rasped.

     “Yes. Breeze is dead, and your campmates are scatted.”

     Surprise flickered in Scorch's heart. She did not love or even really like her mate, but Breeze had been a strong leader and ally. With him dead, her influence over the rogues was ended, and she no longer had the army she needed to get her revenge.

     A new thought suddenly came to Scorch. _My kits!_ She had only become Breeze's mate in order to gain more respect among her campmates. But the kits were different. She had only birthed them a few days ago, and already the urge to protect them was strong inside of her. “Where are my kits?” she demanded.

     Shade paused. “The Clans have them,” she told Scorch. The queen drew her lips back in a furious snarl, but Shade cut off her reply. “You can't get to them now, not alone and injured. You must wait. With me as your ally, you will be strong again. You can get your kits – and your revenge.”

     Scorch hesitated. She knew very little about Shade, other than what Breeze had told her. She had no reason to trust the strange mist-creature. And yet, she was so badly injured; there was no choice but to trust this creature. Even more than that, the suggestion of revenge had sent a cruel glee through Scorch's pelt, her claws digging lightly into the dirt.

     “What do you need me to do?”

     Shade's mist continued to circle lazily around the massive she-cat. Her tone was still casual, but Scorch thought she could hear a strain in her voice now. “I believe you have already met the warrior known as Silentstorm?” she inquired.

     Scorch felt a rush of fury at the mention of the warrior. She did not know the names of many of the Clan cats that Breeze had set her loose on. But Breeze had made sure she knew the name of the massive blind warrior. He had called her by another name too. “The Silent One,” Scorch mewed allowed. The mist flinched, an angry sound like bees buzzing rising in the air. Scorch felt that same anger in her own heart. She remembered facing the blind warrior in battle, Silentstorm's claws tearing her neck open, leaving her close to death. “She's the one who's prophesied to stop Breeze, and you.”

     There was a new note of anger in Shade's tone now. “Yes,” she said in a clipped tone, the crackling flames in her mew even louder now. “There is more you will need to know, and I will tell you. But for now, just know that Silentstorm is the enemy. When you kill her, our bargain will be fulfilled.”

     Scorch dug her claws into the ground, imagining that it was the soft pelt of Silentstorm. “Just give me the word, and she's dead,” she vowed.

     The mist quivered, laughter sounding again. “Patience,” Shade told her. “For now, there are other things I need, plans we must make. If you do as I say, I will give you everything you ever wanted. But you will have to follow my orders.”

     Scorch paused to consider what she was being offered. Shade was right – alone and injured, she would be powerless to get her kits back. She would be exactly what she had been before Breeze had found her; a bitter rogue with no means of righting the wrongs against her. But with Shade as her ally, she would finally have the power to get what she wanted. Her kits would be by her side again, and she would be a better mother to them than her own mother had ever been. And with the powerful spirit at her side, she would be able to lay waste to the Society that had betrayed her, finally able to repay them in blood for their foolishness. _And I can finally kill my mother,_ she thought with cruel glee.

     But she wasn't a fool. Shade wanted something from her, and her vagueness had Scorch wary. She would ally herself with this spirit, but she wasn't trusting her, and she wasn't going to pledge herself entirely until she knew that Shade would keep up her side of the bargain. After a few moments of silence, she growled, “Very well. But I'm not doing everything you say until you prove you'll hold up your end of the deal.”

     Shade was silent for a few moments. Scorch sensed her frustration, but she didn't back down, staring down the mist with a narrowed golden gaze. Finally, Shade agreed, “Very well. Now, it's time for you to wake.” Scorch could already feel the ground falling out from under her paws, the Dark Forest beginning to fade into darkness around her. The last thing she heard before she woke was Shade's crackling purr. “We will meet again, Scorch.”

     The queen gasped as her pain rushed back full-force. She was lying in the ditch she'd hidden in the night before. Bright sunlight warmed her back, lighting up the moorland all around her. It was well past sunhigh – she'd slept through most of the day. Her wound was crusted over with dried blood, but it was still throbbing with pain, and Scorch knew the slightest movement could open it again.

     Gritting her teeth, Scorch pushed herself onto her paws. A gasp escaped her as her wound reopened, but she forced herself to start padding forward. She was filled with new purpose now, determined to live. And if she was going to live, she needed food, and herbs. One paw moved in front of the other, even as each step sent agony rushing to her neck. Scorch forced herself to ignore it. She had a mission now, and nothing was going to get in her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the prologue of Silent Sacrifice. Hoo boy, this ended up much longer than I was meaning. Most of my prologue are from 800-1600 words long, but this is just over 2100 words. Ah well. I didn't want it to be too rushed.
> 
> I was originally going to keep the identity of the speaker in this chapter secret. But I quickly realized that I was fooling precisely no one about Scorch being dead, and I also realized that keeping it secret that Scorch was dead wasn't going to work for reasons that will become evident later. So we see her perspective in this chapter, and we see that Shade has enlisted her help. This should be interesting. ^^
> 
> This prologue takes place right after Silentstorm wounds Scorch, so right after the battle at the end of COTF. But the first real chapter is going to take place a moon and a half after the Gathering at the end of COTF. I shall try to get it posted soon, but I have a lot of stuff for school coming up, so we'll see. Maybe I can get some writing in over Thanksgiving break.
> 
> Also, we're going to be doing things a little differently in this books in terms of point of view. You'll see what I mean as we move further into the book, and I hope you like it.


	3. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leafbare has fallen over the forest

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter One

     Weak sunlight filtered through the trees, offering little relief from the cold bite of the wind. The ginger tom shivered as he trudged through the snow, a half-frozen chaffinch hanging from his jaws. A small tortoiseshell padded beside him, carrying a scrawny robin. It was ill-fed, with little meat on its bones, but it was still bigger than the tom's catch.

     The tom shifted his grip on the chaffinch, tucking it under his chin so he could speak. “You did very well today, Duskpaw,” he told the younger she-cat. “That robin will make a good meal for the elders.”

     With a grunt, Duskpaw shifted her prey as well, her yellow gaze sparking with frustration. “I guess,” she grumbled. “But I wanted to bring more back. The kits are getting too skinny, and Brightheart refused to eat the other day so the queens could have enough. And all I have to contribute is one scrawny robin.” She sighed, lashing her tail. “I should have caught that squirrel – at least that one had some meat on its bones.”

     Worry crept through the tabby's pelt at the mention of kits. He imagined his own daughter, her pale gray-brown pelt hanging too loosely on a scrawny frame. But he forced that thought back, trying to stay positive for his apprentice's sake. “No cat catches every piece of prey perfectly,” he told her, flicking his tail-tip against her shoulder. “You were clumsy pouncing at that squirrel, but all you can do is learn from your mistake and do better next time. You did much better catching the robin – I didn't even scent it before you did.”

     Duskpaw's ears flicked forward. “Really?”

     “Really,” he assured her. “You're getting better at this, I promise. Just be patient with yourself. You've only been training for two moons.”

     Her eyes gleamed with hope for a moment, before becoming tempered with frustration again. “I know. It's just really hard to watch our Clanmates go hungry. I wish I could do more to help.”

     “Just keep up with your training, and do your best,” the tom told her. “That's all you can do for now. But if you keep at it, you'll be a great warrior one day.”

     The worry began to melt from the apprentice's expression, a purr in her throat. “Thanks, Blazeheart,” she mewed. As her somber mood faded, Duskpaw's usual chipper attitude seemed to be returning full-force. Her tail shot up as she moved into a brisk trot, calling cheerfully to Blazeheart, “Come on, we'll be late for the ceremony!” Blazeheart sped up his pace as well, following his apprentice with an exasperated purr.

     Over a moon and a half had passed since the Code's Battle, when the Clans had fought to reclaim their home from Breeze and his followers, and restore the warrior code to the lake. Breeze's cats had driven the four Clans from their territory when Duskpaw had been just a kit, and the Clans had been forced to flee to the distant twoleg city. After almost four moons of living in the massive twolegplace, Blazeheart still felt the occasional flicker of discomfort in his own territory. But that feeling was beginning to fade, and over the past moon and a half, the forest had become ThunderClan's home once again.

     But their victory against the rogues didn't mean the end of the Clans' troubles. Leafbare had hit the forest hard already, even harder than the last leafbare. Only half a moon into the cold season, prey had already become scarce, and freezing winds and thick snow had made hunting harder than it had been in moons. Even worse, the forest still hadn't fully recovered from the fire that had swept across their territory four moons ago. Blazeheart couldn't remember prey ever being so scarce. As much as he had tried to sound positive for his apprentice's sake, he was more worried than ever about the welfare of his Clan.

     The mentor and apprentice managed to reach the camp just as cats were gathering around the High Ledge. Bramblestar had apparently already called the meeting; the massive tabby stoop atop the High Ledge, head held high and amber eyes glowing with pride. But as Blazeheart picked his way through the crowd to sit next Snowfall, he couldn't help but notice how closely the dark tabby pelt clung to his leader's frame.

     “Warriors of ThunderClan, we have faced some of the Clans' greatest challenges these last moons,” Bramblestar announced in his booming yowl. “We lost our home, our pride, and many dear Clanmates. But our courage and our loyalty got us through that dark time, and we stand now victorious over those who would have destroyed our way of life.” Cheers rose through the crowd at the leader's words. Bramblestar allowed the cheering to continue for a few moments, before waving his tail for silence. “One young cat suffered more than most at the paws of Breeze and his cats, but stood strong beside ThunderClan even before she joined us, and fought bravely on our behalf. Today, we honor that young cat with her warrior name. Step forward, Littlepaw!”

     Blazeheart watched as the small yellow tabby padded through the crowd, coming to stand in front of the High Ledge. Her long, silky pelt had been groomed to perfection, her green eyes blazing with joy as she gazed up at her leader. Though smaller and softer-looking than most of the warriors, there was a fierce determination in the way she held herself.

     Bramblestar leaped down from the High Ledge, coming to stand before Littlepaw. “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” he announced clearly. “She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” He gazed down at the smaller she-cat, rumbling, “Littlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     “I do,” Littlepaw vowed, tail lashing with joy. Blazeheart held back a purr. It was good to finally see the she-cat earn her full name – she had grown a lot from the suspicious, scrawny kitten she'd been when she first came to the Clan, and she had worked very hard for this honor. Though her mother and brother had chosen to return to their home at the horseplace after Breeze had been defeated, Littlepaw had chosen to join ThunderClan, and now her hard work and training was finally to be rewarded.

     “Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior name,” Bramblestar called. “Littlepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Littledaisy. StarClan honors your courage, and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” The new warrior dipped her head respectfully, Bramblestar laying his chin over her head.

     “Littledaisy! Littledaisy! Littledaisy!” Even with the misery and hunger of leafbare over them, the voices of the crowd rose in bright, golden tones as they cheered on their Clanmate. Blazeheart added his voice to the rest of the crowd, cheering for his new denmate. “Littledaisy!”

     It was no surprise to any cat what her warrior name was. When Daffodil had joined ThunderClan, she had requested her full warrior name to be Littledaisy, after her brother Little Whiskers, and her aunt Daisy. Most of Littledaisy and Little Whisker's littermates had been violently slain by Dark Forest warriors, leaving the remaining littermates with a very close bond. Other than their mother, they were all each other had left of their family. Littledaisy had wanted to carry a reminder of her brother with her, even though they had chosen different homes.

     Daisy was gone now, but she had been been like a second mother to Littledaisy and Little Whiskers when they first came to ThunderClan. Littledaisy had wanted to honor her brave and loving kin, who had died protecting the kits in ShadowClan's nursery before the Clans had left the lake. Blazeheart hoped the gentle queen was watching over Littledaisy now as she finally earned her warrior name.

     To Blazeheart's surprise, Bramblestar lashed his tail for silence. Every cat quieted, glancing curiously at their leader. “Tonight, Littledaisy will sit silent vigil, as is tradition. But this was not the only ceremony I planned to perform today,” he told his Clanmates. “There is one cat among us who has served her Clan for many moons, and has decided to retire. Hazeltail, step forward.”

     There were some murmurs of surprise as the gray-and-white warrior padded out from the crowd, coming to stand before her leader. Hazeltail wasn't as old as most elders, and was younger than the leader, deputy, and medicine cat of the Clan. But a wound sustained in the Code's Battle had slowed her down in the last moon and a half, leaving her a slower hunter and giving her occasional soreness and pain. Even beyond her injury, Blazeheart could see weariness in every line on the she-cat's face. She had lost her mate, her young daughter, both of her brothers, and both of her parents, in a very short amount of time. Though she always kept a stoic appearance, Blazeheart knew how much grief she hid inside to keep from looking weak. It was no wonder that she was ready to give up the life of a warrior, and finally find peace and rest in the elder's den.

     Bramblestar waited for the murmurs to die down before he began. “Hazeltail, is it your wish to give up the name of a warrior and go to join the elders?” he called out clearly for the crowd to hear.”

     Hazeltail dipped her head, her tone rasping as she said, “It is.” Blazeheart felt a chill at her dull tone. Hazeltail had been a proud warrior, wearing a face of stone to hide any pain, so she could appear strong to her Clanmates. But now, she sounded too weary to even care about admitting her weakness and pain to the Clan.

     The leader's voice was gentle as he continued, “Your Clan honors you and all the service you have given to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many moons of rest.”

     Finchwing's voice was the first to rise from the crowd. “Hazeltail!” He approached his mother, touching his nose to her ear in a comforting gesture. The call was soon picked up by the crowd. “Hazeltail! Hazeltail!” The elder in question looked surprised, and touched, as her Clanmates cheered their love and support for her. Russetpaw and Foxpaw bounded from the crowd as well, purring as they rubbed against their mother's legs. Littledaisy approached her half sister, bumping her muzzle against Hazeltail's and purring.

     Bramblestar let the cheers continue a while longer, then flicked his tail dismissively, signaling the end of the meeting. As he padded away, and the crowd broke up, Blazeheart saw cats approaching Littledaisy and Hazeltail and giving their congratulations. Sparktail was one of the first to approach Littledaisy. Though the tom had initially seemed disappointed to have a horseplace cat as his first apprentice, now he greeted her with a proud purr, touching his nose to her ear and murmuring something that Blazeheart couldn't hear. Shadowstripe and Redleaf were there too, congratulating their new denmate, as well as Cosima. The tortoiseshell had looked as soft as any other kittypet four moons ago, but now, she was as strong and sure as any warrior. Her apprentice, Antpaw, stood beside her, golden eyes gleaming with joy. But even as the warriors congratulated their Clanmates, there was a somber air over every cat. The worries of such a harsh leafbare were not banished so easily.

     Blazeheart mewed a quick farewell to Snowfall, then began padding away across the camp. With the cheer of the ceremonies fading, the tom felt his earlier worries creeping back into his thoughts as he stepped through the bramble entrance to the nursery.

     A familiar sight greeted Blazeheart as he padded into the den. The four queens were laying in their nests, watching the kits fondly as they played. All of the kits and queens looked up as the tom entered the den. One kit in particular lit up with joy, crying gleefully, “Blazeheart!” She bounded across the den, nearly barreling into the tom as she rubbed gleefully against his legs.

     Fierce love flooded Blazeheart as he delivered a series of swift licks to the kit's head and ears, purring as loud as a LionClan warrior. “Hello, Wrenkit,” he greeted his daughter between licks.

     Wrenkit purred as her father crouched to her level, butting her muzzle against his. Blazeheart's daughter was two and a half moons old now, and was becoming bigger and more lively every day. It gave Blazeheart more joy than he could ever describe to watch his daughter grow, knowing that one day she would be a brave, strong warrior serving her Clan. But for now, he was content to enjoy raising the sweet, cheerful kit she was now.

     “I beat Mousekit and Screechkit at mossball today,” Wrenkit informed Blazeheart proudly. “And Millie told us a story about a kittypet who chased a dog out of his garden.”

     Blazeheart purred, touching his nose to his daughter's ear. “Sounds like a good day,” he mewed. As Wrenkit pulled away, he looked up again at the other cats in the den.

     Ambertalon had been lying in her nest, but rose to her paws now, crossing the den to Blazeheart and bumping her muzzle against his chin in greeting. Silentstorm was stretched out on her nest, letting Mousekit and Screechkit use her tail as a plaything, waving it back and forth as they tried to pounce on it. Lightningstrike was watching her daughter's game with amusement, Oatkit sitting near her as he picked at a half-frozen sparrow. The former rogue was slow to trust her new Clanmates around her kits, but Silentstorm had trained with her for a moon before introducing her to the Clan, and Lightningstrike seemed to trust her well enough.

     The last queen in the den lay curled up in her nest, snoring lightly. Seedlight had moved into the nursery a moon ago, expecting Sparktail's kits. Blazeheart had always thought of the tom as gruff and prickly, but Sparktail seemed to radiate joy every time he visited his mate in the nursery. He even played with Silentstorm's kits often and looked out for them, as their father was his brother Lightfoot. Whatever his personal opinion about the tom, Blazeheart knew that Sparktail loved his mate, and would be a wonderful father to his kits.

     “How was training today?” Ambertalon asked as she and Blazeheart approached her nest, sitting on the moss together. Silentstorm, who lay in the nest not far from Ambertalon, mewed a greeting as they approached. The tabby leaned against his mate, feeling her shoulder and flank pressed against his own, her cheek resting on his neck. Wrenkit left her parents alone, running off to join Jaykit by the corner of the den, where she was batting a feather around.

     “As well as it can, with prey this scarce,” he told her. “Duskpaw's getting really good at bird hunting – she just has to learn to be more patient.”

     Ambertalon's whiskers twitched. “I can't imagine Duskpaw being patient,” she mewed, merriment gleaming in her eyes. “She seems like she's always bouncing from thought to thought, and with the energy to match.”

     “Not that you or I were ever all that patient as apprentices,” Silentstorm mewed to Ambertalon, sounding amused, though weary.

     Blazeheart purred in amusement. “She's a pawful, that's for sure,” he confirmed. “But as least she's eager to learn.” His good cheer began to fade after a few moments. “I can't teach her to catch prey that isn't there, though.” Ambertalon gave a small noise of agreement, her gaze growing more serious.

     He glanced at the other queens in the nursery. Seedlight looked too scrawny for a queen so close to kitting, and Silentstorm and Lightningstrike had a dull glaze of hunger to their eyes. All of the kits were skinnier than they should be as well. The tom felt a pang of worry when he saw Wrenkit's frame, too bony for such a young kit. He could even feel Ambertalon's skinny frame as she pressed against his side. How was he going to protect his family when there was so little for any cat to eat? The fear of his daughter starving, just like his young sister had all of those moons ago, kept him up every night now that leafbare had set in.

     As his gaze drifted towards his sister, a different kind of worry began to prick at his heart, the same worry that had followed him ever since he had learned about the prophecy. When the Clans were still staying in the city, Silentstorm had told him and her closest friends from the other Clans about a prophecy from StarClan. _Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice can save the Clans._ The prophecy foretold that Silentstorm would be the one to save the Clans from the darkness.

     At first, Blazeheart had thought the prophecy had been fulfilled when Silentstorm killed Breeze. She had been the one to organize the Clans' allies in the fight against Breeze, and she, Darkbreeze, and Nightfern had been the ones to kill the cruel leader. But at the Gathering after that battle, a darkness like nothing Blazeheart had ever seen had blocked out the light of Silverpelt. Ever since then, he had known that the prophecy wasn't over, and that an even greater darkness still waited for his sister.

     Blazeheart had tried to share his concerns with Silentstorm, but whenever he brought up the prophecy, she always found some excuse to leave, or change the subject. He didn't understand why she would avoiding talking about the prophecy; was the burden of it too much for her to think about? Whatever the reason was, he was starting to feel desperate. However scared she was to face it, Silentstorm had to know that there was still danger waiting for her. He had to get her to listen, somehow, so he could warn her.

     Somewhere in the back of his mind, a dark voice murmured, _But then what?_ Even if he got her to listen, what could he really even tell her? All he knew was that the prophecy wasn't over yet, and the darkness was still coming. But he didn't know what the darkness was, or how she was meant to stop it. Cold fear filled him every time he thought about the ominous words of the prophecy, and the silent sacrifice it called on her to make. What was his sister going to have to sacrifice in order to defeat the darkness? Every answer he could imagine just added to his growing horror.

      _I have to find a way to warn her,_ Blazeheart thought firmly as Silentstorm drew Screechkit close to her with one paw, beginning to groom the black kit. _And no matter what the darkness is, I have to find a way to help her face it, and protect my family._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I certainly jumped right back into writing these. ^^
> 
> Anyway, here's the first chapter. We get to see a bit of Duskpaw and Blazeheart training together, and we get to see Littledaisy's warrior ceremony, and Hazeltail's retirement ceremony. I always wanted to write an elder ceremony, and I never really got the chance, and the only one I think we ever saw in the canon books was Mousefur's. Hazeltail's probably 6 ish years old here, so not really old per se, but she's the oldest warrior in her Clan, has a limp now because of the Code's Battle, and has lost so many of the cats she loved. I figured she deserved to retire, and it allowed me to finally write an elder ceremony.
> 
> The battle against Breeze and his cats is now called the Code's Battle, as it was the winner of the poll I posted a while back about what that battle would be called, and it's the name I ended up liking the best.
> 
> We get to see a little more of Wrenkit, and the state of things in the nursery. We'll be seeing more of Jaykit, Screechkit, and Wrenkit's personalities in the next chapter, I think. ^^
> 
> Also, random, but I forgot to mention this on the allegiances - two of Honeyheart's kits are named after really old RP characters of mine. See if you can guess which ones. ^^
> 
> We'll see when I get around to finishing chapter two. It'll be in Silentstorm's POV.


	4. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm looks after the kits playing in the nursery

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Two

     “No fair, Mousekit! You tripped me!”

     The she-kit lifted her chin, sounding smug. “You're just jealous you didn't get the mossball first, Screechkit. Your legs are too short, you can't keep up with me.”

     Silentstorm listened as her daughter tackled the older kit, growling playfully. “I'll show you who can't keep up!” Mousekit gave a delighted squeal, throwing herself into battle against Screechkit. The two she-kits tumbled on the dusty floor of the nursery, growling and snarling in play.

     The queen's whiskers twitched, purring in amusement. Even as the sun set outside, and the cold night air of leafbare wove its way into the den, the two kits were still lively and playful.

     Silentstorm couldn't say she was surprised – Screechkit and Mousekit were by far the most rambunctious and lively kits in the nursery. Mousekit could be a bit of a bossy show-off, but she got along well with the other kits, and was always read to play. Screechkit was less bossy, but no less confident than her denmate. Silentstorm couldn't help but think that Screechkit was similar to herself as a kit, if less stubborn and headstrong. She was always getting involved in the nursery games, always butting into other cats' conversation, always confident and sure of herself. While Screechkit's boldness had gotten her into trouble plenty of times, and Silentstorm did her best to teach the kit restraint, she adored her upbeat daughter.

     “Mousekit, don't flatten your denmate,” Lightningstrike called from her nest. “It's not polite.” Silentstorm flicked an ear curiously towards the young queen. Initially, Lightningstrike had been one of Breeze's followers, as well as the daughter of the treacherous rogue, Sol. But when Breeze's mother Nightcloud had begun recruiting some of Breeze's cats to turn against him, Lightningstrike was one of the first to join the Clans in their efforts to defeat him. After the battle, she had chosen to join ThunderClan. Though she seemed happy to be away from Breeze and his cruel leadership, there was something hard and untrusting about Lightningstrike. She seemed uneasy whenever her kits strayed out of the nursery without her, and still seemed suspicious of most of her Clanmates. Silentstorm only hoped the queen would become more comfortable with Clan life over time.

     “I won't, mother!” Mousekit called back to Lightningstrike.

     Screechkit gave a playful growl. From where her voice was coming from, Mousekit had her pinned down. “I'd like to see her try!” Mousekit gave a surprised squeak as Screechkit kicked out with her hind legs, dislodging the larger kit.

     As the kits played, Silentstorm lifted her head, taking in the sounds of the nursery. Seedlight was lying in her nest, eating a vole, while Lightningstrike watched over the playing kits nearby. Ambertalon's nest was the only empty one. The fierce she-cat couldn't stand being cooped in the nursery all of the time, and frequently went out on hunts, either Blazeheart or one of the queens looking after Wrenkit while she was gone. Silentstorm knew her restlessness stemmed from her fierce love of the forest and her warrior duties, not from any neglect for Wrenkit. There was no doubt that Ambertalon and Blazeheart both adored her daughter, and with how much they both doted on her and looked out for her, there was no shortage of love for the little she-kit.

     Silentstorm perked her ears as she heard pawsteps approaching the nursery. Three kits padded through the bramble entrance, followed more slowly by Lightfoot and Sunnyflower. Wrenkit and Oatkit were chatting brightly, trotting right up to Lightningstrike. “Sorreltail told us a story about how LeopardClan ambushed TigerClan!” Wrenkit told the former rogue eagerly, while Oatkit rubbed against his mother's chest and muzzle, purring.

     Though lively enough for kits, Wrenkit and Oatkit were calmer than Screechkit and Mousekit, and preferred each other's company to their more playful denmates. Oatkit could be pretty quiet, but he didn't back down when his denmates tried to push him around, and was a surprisingly sneaky fighter. Wrenkit was more friendly and outgoing than Oatkit, but there was a calmness to her that Screechkit and Mousekit didn't have. Silentstorm imagined she would grow into a very level-headed warrior.

     “Sounds like an interesting story,” Lightningstrike mewed, sounding amused. She glanced up at Sunnyflower, mewing, “Thanks for looking after the kits.”

     Sunnyflower curled her tail, purring, “You're welcome!” While Lightningstrike didn't appear to trust many warriors, Sunnyflower was so friendly and sweet that the former rogue couldn't seem to stay suspicious of her. She was one of the few warriors that Lightningstrike trusted to look after her kits. For her part, Sunnyflower seemed to adore Mousekit and Oatkit, and she helped Lightningstrike look after them whenever she could. The she-cat mewed a farewell to the kits, then turned and padded out of the den.

     While the kits told Lightningstrike about the story, Lightfoot crossed over to Silentstorm, purring deeply as he pressed his muzzle against her cheek, lying beside her. Three of the kits had wanted to hear stories from the elders for the day, so Lightfoot and Sunnyflower had agreed to supervise them while they visited the elder's den. Screechkit and Mousekit had preferred to stay behind and play-fight, leaving the queens to look after them in the nursery.

     The last kit followed after the tom, curling up beside her mother's shoulder and blinking sleepily. Silentstorm felt a fierce rush of love as the kit pressed against her, the queen twisting around to give a lick between the kit's ears. Jaykit was by far the quietest kit in the nursery, more similar to her shy father than her sister. But Silentstorm wasn't sure that her quietness was entirely due to shyness, as in Lightfoot's case, even though shyness clearly played a part. There was something very thoughtful about the way her daughter spoke, when she did speak, and her ears were always perked in curiosity. Jaykit preferred listening quietly to one of the elder's stories to roughhousing with her denmates.

     As Silentstorm rasped her tongue over the kit's back, beginning to groom her, she asked, “Did you have a good time today?”

     “Yes,” Jaykit told her mother. She seemed happy, but her mew was still quiet, her tone subdued. “Sorreltail's story was funny. But Hazeltail seemed sad, and so did Brightheart.”

     Silentstorm felt a brush of grief. It had been two days since Hazeltail had moved into the elder's den. While she-cat seemed happier now that she was retired, her grief clearly still weighed heavily on her. Silentstorm couldn't imagine how Hazeltail felt, after losing most of the cats that she loved in the last few moons. Brightheart hadn't lost as many, but the death of Dewpaw still seemed to weigh on her mind. And now, she had lost Cloudtail, who had been by her side for all of the horrors in her life since before any ThunderClan cat had been born. Ambertalon and Snowfall did everything they could to be there for her, but something seemed to have died in the elderly she-cat now that her beloved mate was gone. Silentstorm didn't imagine the elder's den was very cheerful with the two grieving she-cats together there.

     “They've had a hard time lately,” Lightfoot told his daughter gently. He purred as he leaned his muzzle down, touching his nose to her ear. “But they've still got their denmates, and a Clan that loves them.”

     “And they've still got nosy kits to listen to their stories,” Silentstorm added, her whiskers twitching. “That's their favorite.”

     Jaykit gave a small, amused purr. Then she grew serious again. “I heard Spiderleg saying that hunting would get harder because of the snow,” she told her parents. “How long will the snow stay?”

     Silentstorm turned towards her mate, both cats flicking their ears uneasily. Leafbare had already fallen hard upon the forest, and it was only half a moon since leaf-fall had ended. Leafbare had only just begun, and with how poor hunting was, it was going to be an even harder leafbare than the last one. Silentstorm knew that Lightfoot was just as worried as her about how they were going to keep their kits fed through the cold season.

     “It might be here for a few moons,” Silentstorm told her daughter honestly. “But our hunters know what they're doing. We just have to do the best we can until newleaf comes again.” Jaykit looked up at her mother, tail-tip twitching anxiously.

     Lightfoot gave his daughter a gentle nudge with his muzzle. “Don't worry so much, Jaykit,” he told her in a soft purr. “Your mother and I are here to look after you. Let us handle some of the worrying.”

     Jaykit just gave a small nod in reply, leaning against her mother's pelt. Silentstorm held back a sigh, giving the kit a gentle lick between her ears. Her daughter was much too shrewd to miss how worried and hungry the warriors all were. As much as she wanted Jaykit to enjoy her time as a kit, she knew she couldn't protect her forever.

     She just hoped that Jaykit and Screechkit would never have to know a darkness like the one she would one day face.

     The night began to wear on, the den growing even colder. Screechkit eventually abandoned her game with Mousekit, coming to lay beside Lightfoot. “I beat Mousekit at Rogue Invasion today,” she informed her father cheerfully.

     “No she didn't!” Mousekit called from her spot beside Lightningstrike.

     Lightfoot's whiskers twitched. “My tough little warrior,” he teased, touching his nose to her ear. “I'm sure you sent those rogues running for the hills.”

     Screechkit purred, bumping her muzzle against Lightfoot's, before turning back to her mother. “I heard Lightningstrike say you're a really good fighter,” she told Silentstorm, tail lashing eagerly behind her. “Can you show me some fighting moves? I want to surprise Mousekit and Wrenkit with them.”

     Silentstorm felt a flicker of worry. Thoughts of her daughters growing up to face the sort of battles she'd fought made her chest clench up with fear. After a moment, she forced herself to relax. “Not yet,” she told her daughter, forcing an amused purr. “You'll be an apprentice soon enough, and your mentor can teach you that sort of thing.”

     The kit's ears drooped. “But that's _ages_ away,” she complained. “We won't be apprentices for another four moons!”

     “Just be patient,” Lightfoot told Screechkit. “It'll be here soon enough, and you'll miss playing as a kit.”

     Silentstorm gave her smaller kit a lick between the ears. “When you're an apprentice, maybe I'll take you out for a lesson or two,” she told her.

     Screechkit's ears shot forward. “Really?” she gasped.

     “Really,” Silentstorm mewed.

     Beside the queen, Jaykit ducked her head, murmuring, “Can you teach me too?”

     Silentstorm touched her nose to her ear. “Of course,” she purred. “I'll teach both of you.”

     As both kits cuddled against their parents, pawsteps sounded from the den's entrance. Ambertalon padded into the nursery, a sparrow hanging in her jaws. “Ambertalon!” Wrenkit cried, bounding towards her mother as the queen approached her nest. “I got to visit the elders with Sunnyflower and Lightfoot!”

     The tiny queen dropped her sparrow, purring as she bumped her muzzle against her kit's side. “I hope you had fun,” she purred. She settled onto her nest, Wrenkit cuddled against her side as both mother and kit began to share the sparrow. As they ate, Ambertalon looked up at Silentstorm and her family. “Have you been here all day, Silentstorm?” she asked. “I don't think you've moved from that nest since I left to hunt.”

     Silentstorm shrugged. “I wanted to look after Mousekit and Screechkit,” she explained.

     Ambertalon snorted, plucking feathers from her sparrow. “You can't just stay cooped up in here all the time,” she chided her friend. “It's not healthy. You know, it's a nice night out there. Why don't I look after the kits, and you and Lightfoot go for a walk?”

     The blind queen fluffed her pelt out. “In this weather?” she asked doubtfully. It wasn't snowing, but snow still covered the entire forest, and the air was bitingly cold.

     “It's actually pretty still out there,” Ambertalon told her. “I mean, it's cold, but the wind isn't blowing, and it feels calm out there. I think you could use a nice walk in the forest.”

     Silentstorm opened her jaws to argue. Then, after a moment of thought, she closed them again. “You know what, I think you're right,” she mewed. As much as she loved her daughters, there was something suffocating about the nursery sometimes. She wouldn't mind taking a break, on a nice walk in the moonlight with the tom she loved. Turning to Lightfoot, she asked, “What do you think?”

     “It sounds nice,” Lightfoot said in his soft mew. He rose to his paws, Silentstorm following after as she stretched out her stiff limbs.

     Silentstorm turned back to her kits, nudging them both with her muzzle. “We won't be gone long,” she told her daughters. “Ambertalon will look after you while we're out, be good for her.”

     “We will!” Screechkit promised. She and Jaykit trotted over to Ambertalon, Wrenkit purring in greeting as they settled in beside her. As an only kit, and the kits of Silentstorm's brother, Wrenkit had taken to Silentstorm's kits like they were sisters. Once Silentstorm was satisfied that her kits were settled in, she turned away, following Lightfoot as he led her out of the den.

     A blast of cold air slammed into Silentstorm as she left the nursery behind. As they continued out into the forest, however, she found herself adjusting to the cold. Ambertalon had been right; though cold, it was a still night with no wind, and there was a hushed calm over the forest. A sense of contentment came over Silentstorm as she walked side by side with her mate, their pelts brushing as they padded softly through the snowy forest.

     But as they drew farther from camp, the cheeriness that Silentstorm forced around the kits and queens in the nursery began to fade, leaving her with nothing to distract her from her worries. Ever since ThunderClan had reclaimed their home, Silentstorm's thoughts had constantly been haunted by the prophecy, and the sacrifice it called on her to make. She knew all too well how hard the future was going to be, and it was like a weight in her heart.

     Silentstorm knew that her brother worried about the prophecy too. For almost a moon now, he'd been trying to bring up the prophecy, but she always found a way to change or avoid the subject. Somehow, her brother seemed to have guessed that the prophecy hadn't ended with Breeze's death. She didn't want him to think she was brushing him off, but she didn't know what else she could do. Blazeheart had no idea what the prophecy truly meant. No one knew, except for her, and for Rock.

     Just thinking of Rock brought back memories of the last time she'd met the spirit. Not long before her kits had been born, he had walked in her dreams, and he had finally told her exactly what the prophecy required of her. _“If Shade comes back with a fresh body, she will cut me down in a heartbeat,”_ he had told her. _“I need a new body, Silentstorm.”_

     Only Silentstorm knew the truth about the two powerful spirits who were on the brink of battle. Shade and Rock had once walked the world as equals, as the spirits of darkness and light. When Shade had tried to kill Rock and fill the world only with darkness, Rock managed to defeat her and seal her away inside the Dark Forest. But it had come at a great cost – both spirits had lost the ability to take any form other than a harmless mist. The only way they could take a physical form now was to be willingly granted a cat's body. The body Rock had been using was old and weak now, and wouldn't last long in a fight. Shade was looking for a new body, and if she found one before Rock did, she would kill him and fill the world with darkness.

      _“We can fight as one,”_ Rock had said. _“It is the only hope we have to defeat Shade.”_ Silentstorm knew now how the prophecy would end. If there was any hope of defeating Shade, Silentstorm would have to let Rock possess her, and using her body, they would defeat Shade in whatever form she had taken. It was the only way to stop Shade from destroying StarClan and homes for other good spirits, forcing those spirits to roam in the Dark Forest forever, and filling the living world with her dark spirits.

     Silentstorm knew exactly what was required of her now. She had the answers she had so desperately sought when she'd first learned of the prophecy. But now that she knew the truth, all she felt was dread, which had hung heavy in her heart for the last few moons. The joys of raising her daughters couldn't banish it from her thoughts, and worries about the Clans survival through a harsh leafbare only made her more anxious and morose by the day. She put on a good face for her family, but in truth, she only felt more dread every day for what was going to come.

     “Are you alright?” Silentstorm started, surprised by the words that had broken the silence. Lightfoot's mew was soft with worry, the tom gazing at her as he waited for her answer.

     Silentstorm turned her muzzle away. “I'm fine,” she lied. As much as she appreciated her mate's support, she couldn't tell him, or any cat, the truth about the prophecy. The burden of the prophecy was great enough already, but she couldn't bear it if another cat knew the sacrifice she was going to have to make. What would Lightfoot, or Blazeheart, say if she told them that she was going to have to give up her body and will in order to defeat Shade? She had no idea how long it would take to defeat Shade, or how long between Rock possessing her and the battle – how long would she have to leave her family? Worse still was the possibility that even if she won the battle, she might not make it back alive. And worst of all, if she lost, the world would be thrown into darkness.

     There was too much at stake, and all of it depended on the choice she had to make. In the end, there was nothing Lightfoot or Blazeheart could do to help her, and if they knew the truth, they would only worry more, or at worst try to stop her. This was her decision. She would carry the burden of it alone, and she would make her choice alone.

     Lightfoot didn't seem convinced, continuing to watch his mate. Silentstorm sighed, mewing, “I'm just worried about leafbare. Hunting is already so hard, and our kits will be weaned very soon. How are we supposed to keep them strong enough to survive the cold when there isn't enough for any cat to drink?”

     The tom watched her for a few moments more, not seeming convinced. Finally, he glanced away. “I don't know,” He answered honestly. Lightfoot pressed his muzzle against Silentstorm's neck, his breath warm as it brushed against her fur. “I worry about them so much. They seem so small and helpless. And they look up to us for answers.”

     Silentstorm leaned into her mate's touch, taking comfort in his closeness. The two cats hadn't started seeing each other in a romantic light for more than a moon before Silentstorm discovered she was expecting kits. The young parents had done their best to raise their kits together, but it was more challenging than Silentstorm had ever imagined. It wasn't just the work of looking after two young, energetic kits and keeping them safe. It was the responsibility of raising them into the cats they'd grow to be. Both cats were young, and neither had known very much about looking after kits before Silentstorm had moved into the nursery. And now, two young she-kits were depending on them to give them the care and advice they needed.

     “Should we have told Jaykit that Spiderleg was wrong?” Silentstorm murmured to the tom. “She's so young, she shouldn't have to worry so much.” Sometimes, she didn't know exactly how to treat her kits. Were they too young to know the truth about how hard Clan life was? All she wanted was for her daughters to have a happy, safe kithood. But the truth was that they weren't safe, and she couldn't bring herself to lie to her daughter.

     But where was the right balance of truth and exaggeration? Jaykit and Screechkit were too young to handle the hard truths that full warriors dealt with every day. How much should she tell them? So many new questions came to her every day, with the new challenges that raising kits brought her. How often should she let them out of the den when they were this young? What was the right age to start weaning them? How should she punish them when they misbehaved? Cinderheart, Lionblaze, Rosepetal, and Molefoot advised the young parents as much as they could, and Silentstorm knew that her parents would happily address any question she brought them. But there were some things that Silentstorm knew that only she and Lightfoot could figure out together.

     Lightfoot sighed. He pulled his muzzle away, telling her, “I don't think so. We can soften the blow, but how can we expect them to trust us if we straight-out lie to them? And it's not like we can hide the truth from them forever.”

     Silentstorm flicked an ear morosely. “You're right,” she agreed. “But I worry about her. She's so quiet, and she always seems worried.”

     The tom gave a soft purr. “She reminds me of myself as a kit,” he admitted to Silentstorm. “I think all we can do is keep encouraging her to speak out, but respect her when she wants to be alone. As long as she knows she can always have us to turn to, she'll find her own way.” He was quiet for a moment, before adding softly, “I hope.”

     Silentstorm felt a sudden rush of fierce love for the tom beside her. She knew this was just as hard for him as it was for her. Lightfoot had always been shy around kits, and seemed awkward around cats in general. But he loved her, and he loved her daughters, and he was trying, just like her. Even with the weight of the prophecy and her sacrifice in her heart, she knew she was more grateful for her family than she could ever say. Lightfoot was just as new at this as she was, and it was comforting to know that they would figure this out this new responsibility together.

     On a sudden impulse, she reached out her muzzle to Lightfoot's face, delivering a soft lick to his cheek. Lightfoot gave a surprised purr, tail curling in delight. “Come on,” she mewed warmly. “No more worrying. Let's just have a nice night.”

     After a brief moment of surprise silence, Lightfoot purred softly. “Sounds perfect to me.” He pressed his pelt against Silentstorm's, each cat drawing comfort from the other as they padded through the snowy forest. Silentstorm did her best to push her worries about her kits, her Clan, and her prophecy out of her mind. This was her time off with the tom she loved, and she was going to enjoy it.

     But even as she walked beside her mate, a voice in the back of her mind whispered, _This may be the last nice night you'll ever get._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually supposed to have a pretty different plot, but I felt like it was really important to introduce all of the kits properly, and to show more of Silentstorm's relationship with Lightfoot. I'm thinking I'll be able to combine the plot this chapter was supposed to have with the plot of another chapter, so it should work out in the end. I'm hoping, anyway. :P This one is really long, even without the other plot in there.
> 
> So, here we finally get to see more of these kits' personalities. ^^ I've had their personalities in mind for a while, but they were too young to really start showing them in COTF. And yes, I know that kits start talking pretty much right after they're born in the canon books (especially in Bluestar's Prophecy), but that was always really... creepy to me. So we're not doing that here. :P Anyway, I hope you like the kits so far, I can't wait to show more of them later. ^^
> 
> I also wanted to show how Silentstorm is feeling about the prophecy. She tries to put on a good face for her kits and her family, but inside she knows the weight of the sacrifice she's going to have to make. And she hasn't told anyone else about it yet.
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter done soon. It should be interesting. ;)


	5. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two cats walk along the street in the moonlight...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Three

     The flat gray stone of the twoleg path was glowing silver in the moonlight. Two cats were walking together along the side of the thunderpath, their pelts brushing and tails twining. Greenleaf still reigned over the city, but the chill of leaf-fall had begun to creep into the breeze as it wove through the she-cat's thin pelt. She shivered lightly, pressing against the tom's warm pelt. His collar brushed against her neck fur, the golden bell giving a soft tinkling sound.

     “Come on,” the tom mewed, touching his nose to her ear with a purr. “It's not far now.”

     He led her to the top of a large hill, taking her around the back of one of the twoleg nests. There was a trash can by the side of the den; they leaped onto the that, then onto a flat surface of black bars higher up. There was a series of bars that led up to another flat surface, and then another, and from there they were able to climb onto the roof. Once both the tom and she-cat had reached the roof, the tom led the she-cat to the edge.

     She gasped. From the roof's edge, they were able to see what seemed like the whole city. A sea of huge twoleg dens was spread before her eyes, the two cats looking down on the city. All of the dens were lit up with more lights than she could ever count, twinkling like stars in the dark of night. There were flashes of yellows, greens, reds, blues, and many other colors, lighting up the whole city. It was like a million fireflies had been set loose on the massive twolegplace, making it brighter and more alive somehow than anything she'd seen before.

     “Oh wow,” she breathed, eyes wide as she took in the view. “Cosmo, it's amazing!” The she-cat had never been able to find beauty in something a twoleg had created before. But now, looking at this view, she could understand why the tom loved his home in the city so much.

     Cosmo purred, pressing his pelt against hers. “I hoped you'd like it,” he mewed, sounding pleased. “This is one of my favorite views in the city.” He gazed back out at the city, a purr rumbling in his throat. “I know it's scary for you and your Clanmates here, and that you miss the forest. But this place can be just as beautiful as any forest, and it's home to me.”

     The she-cat grew sober for a moment. She knew that the time would come when she would have to return to her Clan's territory, away from the city. This strange place, with all of its twolegs and dogs and thunderpaths, was no home to her, even if she could understand how Cosmo felt that way. But when she left, she knew in her heart that Cosmo would not leave with her. He belonged in the city with his soft den and his twolegs, just as much as she belonged on the moor with the scent of heather and the breeze in her fur. Even though she wanted her home back, she was going to miss this tom more than she had ever imagined possible a few moons ago.

     On a sudden impulse, she brushed her muzzle against Cosmo's cheek, giving him a soft lick. The tom gave a surprised purr as she slid her muzzle down to press her head against his neck, leaning against his shoulder. “I wish this was easier,” she murmured.

     She didn't elaborate, but Cosmo seemed to understand. He laid his chin over her head, purring quietly. His tone was unusually serious as he mewed, “Me too.” The tom hesitated, before adding in an even softer mew, “I love you.”

     The she-cat sighed. She had never meant to fall in love with a kittypet. Her love for Cosmo went against everything she had ever learned. It went against her loyalty as a warrior, her pride in her freedom, and her love for her Clan. But the tom beside her was funny, and loving, and kind, and knew her better than any cat she'd ever known. Despite any of her promises or loyalties, and anything her Clanmates might think or say, she knew that she loved this kittypet more fiercely than she had ever felt before.

     She pressed herself against him more, closing her eyes. “I love you too,” she murmured.

     The two cats sat like that for a while, pressed against each other as they watched the lights of the city below. The she-cat never wanted it to end. She knew that all she and Cosmo were going to have together was this short time, and that once her Clan got their home back, she would never see him again. All she wanted was to hold onto their moment together.

     But, eventually, the tom pulled back. “Come on,” he mewed in a tone of fake cheer, rising to his paws. “What are we doing, sitting around here all night? There's still time before you have to get back to your Clan – and I bet you can't beat me in a race to the den with the cracked window!”

     The she-cat pulled back her ears, giving a mock growl. “Is that a joke?” she teased, pulling herself back onto her paws. “You're more lumbering than a three-legged badger!”

     “Don't be so sure!” Cosmo crowed, green gaze flashing with excitement. “We'll get off this roof together, and once our paws touch the ground, first one to the den with the cracked window wins!”

     “You're on!” The she-cat let the tom lead her back towards the bars that would lead them to the ground. She knew that she wouldn't get to stay with this tom forever, and that losing him would hurt more than any wound in the battle to come. But right now, all she wanted was to enjoy the time she had left with him.

**SCENEBREAK**

     “Darkbreeze! Darkbreeze, wake up!”

     The she-cat lifted her head, blinking groggily. At first, she wasn't sure where she was, or how she'd ended up there.

     Then she remembered.

     Weak sunlight filtered through the branches of the gorse bush, which led as the entrance into the hollow den beneath. Darkbreeze was curled up on her nest of moss and sheep's wool, her pelt fluffed out against the cold. Honeyheart was a few mouse-lengths away, her four kits already awake and wrapped up in a game of some sort. Nightfern had poked her head into the nursery, glancing at her sister curiously. “You wanted to go on a walk today, remember?” she told her sister.

     Darkbreeze groaned as she lifted herself to sitting. As she did, she could feel the kits shifting and kicking in her belly. The queen glanced at her belly, love and worry and regret battling in her heart in equal measure. After a pause, she glanced back at her sister. “Yeah, I'll be right there,” she mewed quickly. The small queen rose to her paws, bounding up to and past the gorse entrance to join Nightfern. Side by side, the sisters padding past the snow-dusted heather circling the camp, and out onto the open moorland.

     At first, neither cat spoke as they padded through the snow covering the soft cotton grass. Darkbreeze sneaked a worried glance at her sister. Nightfern was staring straight ahead, her expression numb with grief. There was a dull glaze to her amber eyes that chilled Darkbreeze to the roots of her pelt; it was like her sister was already dead.

     She knew that her sister carried more grief and guilt with her than any cat should have to stand. When WindClan's home had been stolen by the rogues, their father Breeze had stolen Nightfern's son, Graykit. Their treacherous father had trained the newly-named Gray to be as vicious and cruel as he was. In the end, Gray had killed his own sister, Shadepaw, and Nightfern had killed Gray trying to save Shadepaw. Even though Gray had become a monster who had killed his own sister, Darkbreeze knew that Nightfern would never forgive herself for killing him.

     Darkbreeze decided to finally break the silence. “How did Gorsepaw and Thicketpaw do on their warrior assessments?” she asked, trying to force a cheerful tone. She knew that Nightfern's grief couldn't be banished so easily, but she hoped her sister would be able to feel more at ease with the familiar routine of Clan life if she acted cheerful for her sake.

     Nightfern blinked blearily, as though waking from a dream. “Huh? Oh, they did well.” She gave her head a quick shake, starting to look more awake. “Runningleaf said that Gorsepaw tracked this huge hare into its burrow, and Sorrelspike saw Thicketpaw cut off a pigeon that nearly escaped.” Even as the grief dulled the she-cat's tone, pride for her remaining sons managed to shine through.

     “Sounds like they did really well,” Darkbreeze purred encouragingly. Nightfern's surviving kits were only a moon away from finishing their training. Thicketpaw was almost as massive and thickly-built as his father, Wetwhisker, at this point, while Gorsepaw had inherited the lithe frame of a moor runner from Nightfern. Though Thicketpaw's bulk made it harder for him to chase down hares, he made up for it with his strength and stealth. Both toms were turning into fine hunters; Darkbreeze knew that Nightfern more proud of them than she could say. Ever since Shadepaw and Gray had died, Nightfern was more protective of her sons than ever, and Darkbreeze felt the same.

      _Soon, it won't just be Nightfern's kits I'll be protective of,_ a voice in her mind murmured. Darkbreeze stole another glance at her belly, which grew rounder and rounder by the day. When she had left the city, she had thought she'd left Cosmo behind forever. She had loved the kittypet more fiercely than she'd ever dreamed, and saying goodbye had felt like getting her heart clawed out of her chest, but she'd been willing to put him and her love for him in the past for the good of her Clan. But less than half a moon after leaving the city, she had learned that Cosmo had left her with something that would change her life. _My kits. Our kits._

     Darkbreeze had moved into the nursery soon after the first Gathering back in Clan territory, and her kits were due in a moon now. She had told Heatherstar right away about her kits and who their father was. Heatherstar had already suspected her daughter's affection for Cosmo, after all, it wasn't like she could have fooled her mother. Darkbreeze knew some of her Clanmates would judge her kits for being half kittypet, but she also knew all too well the costs of lying to protect her kits. She would rather teach her kits to face their heritage with pride than repeat the mistakes of Leafpool; too many cats had been hurt by the lies.

     Nightfern seemed to guess what her sister was thinking. She reached out her muzzle, pressing her nose to her sister's ear. “My kits will be warriors soon, but your kits, you still have all of their kithood to look forward to,” she murmured. “Enjoy it while it lasts.” There was a dull glaze in Nightfern's eyes that told Darkbreeze she was thinking of her own lost kits.

     The queen felt a sudden rush of fear. Nightfern had done everything she could to protect her own kits, and she had still ended up losing two of them, one at her own claws. She could imagine her own kits being torn from her grasp all too easily. _StarClan, please let me keep them safe,_ she prayed, feeling her paws tremble at the thought of losing them. _I can't lose them like that._

     “Oh, I can't wait to finally meet them,” Darkbreeze mewed, trying to cast off her dark thoughts. She curled her tail, joy flooding through her and pushing back her fear at the thought of her kits. “I want to tell them stories, and play with them, and tell them all about WindClan... and Cosmo.” For a moment, sadness tinged her joy.

     Nightfern gave her sister a searching look. “You miss him, don't you?” she murmured.

     Darkbreeze hesitated. She missed Cosmo more than she could ever say. But she wanted to put that behind her, and focus on what she still had; her Clan, and her kits. If she dwelled on her loss, the pain was too much to bear. “Of course,” she mewed briskly. “But there isn't anything I can do about that now.” Nightfern didn't seem fooled; she was still watching her sister with soft pity in her gaze. Darkbreeze tried to turn it into a joke instead, flicking her tail against Nightfern's flank and teasing, “Who would've thought it, hmm? After all of the warnings and stories, and all of the mistakes our kin made, and both of us still ended up taking mates outside of the Clan. You'd think we would have learned.”

     Her sister watched her a moment longer. “I guess our family just doesn't have much luck,” Nightfern murmured. To Darkbreeze's surprise, Nightfern touched her nose to her sister's cheek, purring softly. “You're allowed to miss him, you know,” she mewed. “And you know you can always talk to me.” She pulled back, a knowing gleam in her amber eyes. “I know I haven't quite been myself lately, but I'm still your sister. I'm always here for you.”

     The queen hesitated, then allowed her ears to droop, pressing against her sister's pelt as they walked side by side. “I know. Thank you, Nightfern,” she murmured. She gave a weary flick of her tail, admitting, “I do miss him. But I'm a warrior, and he's a kittypet – there was never going to be a future for us. Even though it hurts, I know we're both where we belong. I just wish we hadn't had to lose each other – and I wish he could know his kits.”

     “You should tell him,” Nightfern mewed, amber eyes glowing with sympathy. “Even if he can't be a part of your life anymore, he deserves to know about his kits.”

     Darkbreeze looked away uncomfortably. She knew her sister was right. Cosmo deserved to know that she was having his kits. She would never want to keep something like that from him. But the city was a long journey from WindClan's territory, and she would have to cross through ShadowClan territory to get there, or go the long way around. There was no way she could make that journey easily in her condition. Even if she wanted to risk it, would Heatherstar let her leave the Clan for that long? Her mother, and many of her Clanmates, probably wouldn't appreciate her leaving the Clan that long to visit a kittypet, even if it was one of their former allies. Several of them already seemed to trust Darkbreeze less because of who was fathering her kits.

     “I'll tell him,” she told her sister. “But not yet. I have to find the right time to travel to the city.” Nightfern looked like she was going to object, so Darkbreeze cut her off. “I just hope the Clan doesn't blame them for who their father is. At least Wetwhisker joined the Clan, so technically both of your kits' parents were WindClan warriors when they were born. My kits are completely halfClan.”

     To her surprise, amusement managed to gleam in Nightfern's eyes for a moment. “I wouldn't worry too much,” she mewed, flicking her tail. “Every cat knows that Cosmo risked his life to help us win our home back, and so did all of the other city cats. I doubt any Clan cat thinks as lowly of kittypets as they used to. And it's not like you were sneaking out of camp to meet some cat across the border; we were training with Cosmo and the others for over three moons, and practically living with them like Clanmates.” She nudged her sister's shoulder with her own, purring, “Some cats might be mousebrains, but the rest will see your kits for what they are – the kits of two brave, caring cats who have risked their lives for WindClan's sake. And even if they think differently of you, the warrior code tells them not to think any differently of your kits now.”

     Darkbreeze started to feel relief as her sister's reassurance sank in. Her sister was right about the warrior code, at least. The Gathering after the Clans had won their home back, Tigerstar had proposed two news laws to the warrior code, to replace the old law that charged Clan cats to scorn kittypets. The first law told the Clans to respect any good cat, whether they lived by the warrior code or not. The second law decreed that any cat who followed the warrior code, no matter their past or their parentage, was to be respected as a true Clan cat. According to this new law, while Darkbreeze could be blamed for taking a mate outside of the Clan, her kits could not be looked down on for being halfClan. Even though the law wouldn't change every cat's view of halfClan cats, the code and the leaders of the Clans were now charged with protecting these cats from the prejudices of their Clanmates.

     The queen took a deep breath, starting to feel her usual cheer coming back. “You're right,” she mewed in a brighter tone. “I shouldn't worry so much.” A new energy was thrumming in her paws, the queen suddenly flooded with the desire to run. “Come on, I haven't been for a proper run in ages. Let's have a race!”

     Nightfern's whiskers twitched. “With those kits in your belly, you're as clumsy as a badger,” she teased. “There's no way you're going to win.”

     “We'll just see about that!” Without any further warning, Darkbreeze took off running, leaving her sister to blink in shock behind her. But her shock faded quickly, and when Nightfern started racing after her sister, she quickly passed the clumsy queen. Darkbreeze didn't care, though. There was a fierce joy in being able to race over the open moorland again, feeling the cold leafbare wind rushing over her pelt, her paws hardly touching the ground. _I love you, Cosmo,_ the queen thought, _But I never could have given this up for anything._

     Darkbreeze was so caught up in the race, she didn't see the patrol until she nearly crashed into them. Beechleaf managed to scramble out of her way in time, and Nightfern came neatly to a halt in front of Runningleaf and Gorsepaw, Palestripe glancing at the two she-cats in surprise. Darkbreeze stumbled to a halt, shaking out her pelt and mewing quickly, “Sorry Beechleaf!”

     “It's alright,” the new warrior mewed, his ruffled pelt starting to lie flat again. “You just surprised me.” The rest of the patrol was looking less surprised now as well. Gorsepaw padded up to his mother, purring as he touched noses with her, and Runningleaf mewed a quick greeting to the she-cat. The gray warrior had once been a loner in the city, and she still seemed jumpy sometimes. But she was a brave fighter, and was quickly to be a loyal WindClan warrior, and a dedicated mentor for Gorsepaw.

     “Sorry we sneaked up on you like that,” Nightfern mewed, glancing at Sunstrike. The tortoiseshell she-cat had been put in charge of the hunting patrol earlier that morning by Larksong. “We were just out on a walk. How's the hunting going?” Darkbreeze began to become uneasy as she noticed none of the cats on the patrol were carrying prey.

     Sunstrike's expression was grim. “We haven't caught so much as a whiff of hare,” she told Nightfern. “Live hare, anyway.”

     Darkbreeze's ears flew back in surprise. “What do you mean by live hare?”

     It was Palestripe who answered that. “We found hare blood and fur scattered on the ground near the twisting burrows,” she growled darkly. Ever since the death of her mother, Sedgestar, and her brother Owlpaw, Palestripe had thrown herself into working hard for her Clan. Though she had only been a warrior for a moon, her work ethic had earned a lot of respect from her Clan. “Someone's been stealing our prey.”

     Nightfern and Darkbreeze exchanged alarmed glances, their hackles beginning to bristle. “Was it rogues?” Nightfern asked, a tremor in her mew. “Even with Breeze dead, some of them might have decided to come back and get revenge.”

     Sunstrike shook her head. “There wasn't any rogue scent,” she assured the sisters. “But whoever it was, we need to tell Heatherstar about it, so she can warn the other Clans.”

     Nightfern started to reply, only to freeze in shock, her gaze fixed on something past Sunstrike. “It can't be,” she breathed, her pelt trembling. Alarmed, Darkbreeze followed her sister's gaze, only to freeze in equal shock.

     Three cats stood on the snowy moorland, too far for Darkbreeze to make our their scents or features. But she didn't need scent to recognize these cats. The larger cat was vaguely familiar to her, but there was no mistaking the lean black tom, and the small dark tabby by his side.

     “ _Graykit!_ ” Without warning, Nightfern tore away from her Clanmates, racing towards her son. Breeze, Gray, and the other cat stood on the edge of a hill, the sun shining through their pelts. With a rush of horror, Darkbreeze realized what she was seeing. _They're Dark Forest spirits!_

     “Nightfern, wait!” Darkbreeze wailed. She raced after her sister, the rest of the patrol doing the same, quickly surpassing the queen. Darkbreeze watched her sister, her heart racing with terror as she waited for the Dark Forest cats to turn and attack her sister.

     But to her shock, when Nightfern had nearly reached them, the Dark Forest spirits turned and ran. They bounded away over the hill, quickly disappearing from sight. Nightfern chased after them for a few moments, then turned away, eyes wide and pelt trembling. “They're gone!” she gasped.

     While the patrol rushed off to check that the Dark Forest cats were really gone, Darkbreeze hurried to her sister's side. She pressed her pelt against Nightfern's, sniffing her sister's fur. “Thank StarClan you're alright!” she said, feeling her own pelt tremble. “I thought they were going to attack you!”

     Nightfern didn't seem to hear her. Her eyes was glazed over with stunned horror, her entire pelt trembling. “He was with them,” she whispered, her mew hoarse with horror. “My Graykit, he was with the Dark Forest cats. Oh StarClan, why? Why couldn't I save him?” Darkbreeze gave low, soothing mews as she pressed against Nightfern's side, trying to steady her trembling. Inside, her mind was reeling with horror. She hadn't really believed that Gray would go to StarClan, after murdering his own sister, but she'd tried to hope. But now, she knew the truth. Gray was a Dark Forest cat, and so was Breeze. And now, they were back in Clan territory.

     Sunstrike and her patrol returned, lashing their tails in frustration. “They've left without a trace,” Palestripe growled, ice-blue eyes flashing with fury.

     “Why are they here now?” Beechleaf asked, looking spooked. “We haven't seen any Dark Forest cats since we left for the city!”

     Darkbreeze exchanged a worried glance with Sunstrike. While they hadn't seen the Dark Forest spirits since they'd left the lake, it had been foolish to think they had just gone away. Even with Breeze defeated, it seemed that he and his Dark Forest allies weren't going away so easily. But Darkbreeze's mind was still racing with panicked thoughts. Why had they waited until now to come back? Why hadn't they seen them at all in the city, or during the battle against Breeze?

      _Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice can save the Clans._ Darkbreeze was surprised to find the words of her best friend's prophecy flashing in her mind just then. That prophecy had ended when she, Silentstorm, and Nightfern had killed Breeze, hadn't it? Silentstorm had found the allies they'd needed to win the battle, and she'd helped the sisters finally kill their father.

     But now, she began to wonder. The Dark Forest cats had returned to the forest again. What if Breeze and his rogues hadn't been the darkness Silentstorm was meant to defeat? What if it was the Dark Forest, and the prophecy wasn't over yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you this chapter would be interesting. ^^
> 
> So yeah, as I said, this book is going to be a bit different in terms of POV. Here we are introduced to Darkbreeze's POV, which is great, because Darkbreeze is probably my favorite character in this series. :D It was definitely interesting writing from her POV, and from a WindClan POV. We get to see her thinking about her romance with Cosmo, and her kits with him, who are due in a moon. And this isn't the end of the POV oddness in this book. ;)
> 
> I know it's not what I usually do with these books. It's always just been ThunderClan POVs, and only Silentstorm and Blazeheart. But having different POVs is going to be the best way I can tell the story for this book. Plus, it'll be really cool, I think, for the finale for this series. :D
> 
> We also get to see that the Dark Forest is back. ^^ This should be interesting...
> 
> Happy late Thanksgiving to everyone, by the way. Sorry I forgot to mention that in the last chapter. I hope you all had a nice dinner.
> 
> I wasn't home for my birthday, so when I got home Wednesday for Thanksgiving break, I got to celebrate my birthday with my parents. And by far the coolest thing I got for my birthday - two tickets to Hamilton!!!!!!! :D They're for next August, so it won't be for a while yet, but I get to see Hamilton!!!!!!! 8D I'm so excited, I love this musical so much, and now I finally get to see it live. :D This has nothing to do with EOTW (other than the fact that I reference Hamilton a lot in EOTW), but I'm really excited about it. :D
> 
> Hopefully I can get the next chapter done soon. We'll be fast-forwarding to Gathering time, so that'll be fun. ^^


	6. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gathering has arrived

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Four

     Silver moonlight spilled onto the snowy forest, making the snow seem to sparkle with starlight. But Blazeheart felt no awe at the sight. Instead, the warrior was filled with grim determination as he padded beside his Clanmates, trudging through the snow and walking pelt-to-pelt to keep warm. Another full moon had arrived, and it was time once again for the Gathering.

     Ambertalon padded beside her mate, her pelt brushing against his, as the Clan traveled through the snowy moorland. She had been chosen to come along to the Gathering for the night, but Silentstorm had decided to stay in camp with her kits. That was fine by Blazeheart; there was work he needed to get done at the Gathering, and it would be all the easier without Silentstorm there. Duskpaw padded beside her mentor, tail curled with delight as she trudged through the snow. Lilyfrost and Dovewing were nearby as well, their apprentices Stormpaw and Graypaw beside them, both apprentices lashing their tails in excitement.

     Blazeheart knew the three apprentices were excited to attend the Gathering tonight, because it had been a moon since they had seen their sister, Dewpaw. After their mother Blossomfall had died in the fire that tore through the forest, the four young cats had been taken in by Silvershine of RiverClan. The gentle queen had cared for the ThunderClan kits like they were her own, and after the Clans had returned to their own territories, Dewpaw had chosen to join RiverClan to be with her adopted mother. They weren't the only ones; Blazeheart knew that Badgercloud looked forward to seeing his old friend Foxfoot, who he had lived with for seasons as a rogue, and Littledaisy had said something about wanting to see Aspenpaw and Palestripe again.

     A small flicker of worry flashed in Blazeheart's mind. The Clans had gone their separate ways after winning the lake back from the rogues, but they had lived together for several moons before that. Their young cats had grown up together, and the older cats had formed close bonds with their enemies. Even Blazeheart felt a sense of relief at the thought of meeting with the cats of the other Clans again. How were they supposed to stand loyal to their separate Clans when they felt like Clanmates with their enemies? How were their warriors supposed to defend their Clan first when the lines between Clan and Clan had become so blurred?

     Blazeheart forced his worried thoughts to the back of his mind as the patrol passed over the RiverClan border. Not long after that, they reached the pebble bridge leading onto the Gathering island. The cats began crossing one by one, Blazeheart carefully leading his apprentice across to the other side. As soon as Duskpaw's paws touched the ground, she padded away, calling a greeting to a fluffy tortoiseshell. Stormpaw and Graypaw hurried after her, the three ThunderClan apprentices eagerly greeting their RiverClan littermate. Dewpaw purred as her littermates surrounded her, tail curling in pleasure.

     The pale tabby was soon joined by Ambertalon, and together the mates padded further into the clearing. RiverClan had already arrived, as had ShadowClan. Badgercloud was already chatting with Foxfoot, their apprentices Beetlepaw and Snowpaw sitting beside them. Cloudshade and Aspenpaw called a bright greeting to Littledaisy as she approached them, and Ripplewing bumped muzzles with Slushfoot with a purr. Blazeheart watched his Clanmates greeting their enemies like friends, feeling the same flicker of unease as before.

     “Blazeheart!” The tabby turned, relaxing as he saw a familiar tortoiseshell trotting towards him. He touched noses briefly with Specklefoot, giving a small purr of greeting. “Is your sister here?”

     The tom shook his head. “She's looking after her kits,” he explained. “But actually, there was something I wanted to ask you about.” He glanced at Ambertalon, mewing, “Would you mind if I talked with Specklefoot alone?” As much as he hated to shut Ambertalon out, she didn't already know about the prophecy, and it wasn't for him to give away Silentstorm's secret.

     Curiosity flickered in Ambertalon's gaze, but she simply gave a quick, “Sure thing,” in response. The tiny queen turned and padded away, leaving Blazeheart alone with the pale tortoiseshell.

     “What did you need to ask me?” Specklefoot asked, looking curious. The tortoiseshell's belly was already starting to grow round with her kits. She and her mate Dewfrost had found a tom to help give them kits, expected to be born very close to each other, that the she-cats could raise together. They hadn't revealed who the tom was, preferring to be the only parents their kits knew. From how round her belly was, she was less than a moon from kitting.

     With his mate gone, Blazeheart let his tone grow more urgent. “It's not just you,” he told the queen. “I want to talk to Eeltooth and Darkbreeze too, and Lightfoot. It's about the prophecy.”

     Specklefoot's ears flicked back in surprise, but otherwise she didn't react. “I think I saw Eeltooth talking with some of my Clanmates,” she mewed. “I'll bring him to where we usually meet with Silentstorm during Gatherings. You know the place?” Blazeheart gave a small nod. He had confronted his sister meeting with Eeltooth behind the patch of brambles, where Silentstorm and her friends liked to meet out of sight of their Clanmates. “Good. If you can find Lightfoot and bring him, we'll just have to wait for WindClan to show up so we can get Darkbreeze.”

     “Sounds good.” Blazeheart gave a friendly flick of his ear as Specklefoot began to pad away. Once she had been swallowed up by the crowd, the tom turned away, sniffing around for his Clanmate. He was able to locate Lightfoot after a bit of searching. The light brown tom was in a group of warriors from the three Clans present, chatting quietly with Tigerlily. While the tom was still shy and quiet around most cats, he had gained confidence in his moons as a warrior, and he already knew the former rogue well.

     As Blazeheart drew near, he heart Tigerlily mewing brightly, “The new apprentices are taking to their training really well. Buffy's been letting me help out with Cinderpaw's training sessions. I think she likes helping the new members feel included in the Clan, and showing them how Clan life works.” Tigerlily's green eyes were bright, though her sleek pelt hung over a too-thin frame as she chatted with the ThunderClan warrior. The former rogue seemed to be settling into Clan life well, considering that she had been trying to help Breeze destroy them only a few moons ago.

     Both cats looked up as Blazeheart joined the group, as did the other cats gathered nearby. “Hello, Blazeheart,” Tigerlily purred. Along with Lightfoot, Blazeheart had been one of the warriors who had given Tigerlily and her campmates training for a moon and a half before the battle, in an effort to win allies from Breeze's own campmates for the battle to come. He gave a friendly mew in reply. “How's the prey running?”

     “As well as it can, considering it's leafbare,” Blazeheart answered carefully. As much as he liked Tigerlily, he didn't want to reveal ThunderClan's weakness. It wasn't like it wasn't already obvious to see, however. Every ThunderClan cat in the clearing had ragged pelts over bony frames, their gazes dull with hunger, even more than the other Clan cats. He knew it was no secret that ThunderClan's forest had been destroyed by the forest, and was still recovering. But instead of greed or disdain in the eyes of the other Clan cats, all he saw was sympathy. Nearby, Silvershine was sniffing Blossomfall's kits over with eyes wide in concern, the better-fed Dewpaw looking surprised at how ill-fed her littermates were. Oddtail and Graycloud were mewing in an encouraging tone to Russetpaw and Foxpaw, and Tawynpaw was listening as Yewpaw spoke with a worried expression. _They're worrying about us like Clanmates,_ Blazeheart thought, _not like weakened enemies._

     The tom gave a quick shake of his head, trying to push away his dark thoughts as his gaze flitted to Lightfoot. He mewed to Tigerlily, “Do you mind if I borrow my Clanmate for a while? There's something I wanted to ask him.”

     Lightfoot blinked curiously at Blazeheart, but didn't protest. “Not at all,” Tigerlily mewed. “See you later!” She gave a friendly flick of her dark tabby tail as Blazeheart started to lead Lightfoot away. The two toms padded through the snowy clearing, Blazeheart leading the younger tom through the brambles in front of Silentstorm's meeting ground with her friends.

     Specklefoot and Eeltooth were already waiting there when Blazeheart and Lightfoot pushed through the brambles. The tortoiseshell was sitting beside a clump of ferns, Eeltooth sitting next to her with his thick pelt fluffed out against the cold. Both cats looked up as the ThunderClan toms arrived, Lightfoot's ears flicking back in surprise. “What's going on here?” Lightfoot asked, glancing uneasily at Blazeheart.

     “There's something I need to talk to all of you about,” Blazeheart told his Clanmate. “It's about the prophecy.” Lightfoot's eyes widened in surprise. “But we have to wait for Darkbreeze to get here first.”

     Lightfoot flicked an ear uneasily. “Shouldn't we wait until we can talk to Silentstorm too?” he asked. “I mean, it's her prophecy.”

     “And there are cats other than us that know about the prophecy now,” Eeltooth pointed out in his gruff mew. “Why is it just us?”

     The RiverClan warrior was right – it wasn't just Silentstorm's friend who knew about the prophecy. Breeze had apparently known about the prophecy, and had told some of his campmates about it. When Night had started recruiting cats from her camp to betray Breeze, she had told them about the prophecy in order to convince them Silentstorm could help them defeat Breeze forever. All of those cats who had been from Breeze's camp knew about the prophecy now. But Blazeheart had no desire to include all of those cats in future discussions about the prophecy. This was just for the cats who were closest to Silentstorm to hear.

     “Silentstorm clearly wants the prophecy to stay secret to some degree,” he said in a low mew. “Other cats may know about it, but I think we should keep this just between Silentstorm's closest friends, for now. I'll explain more, but I want to wait until Darkbreeze is here.”

     No sooner had he spoken when the sound of new paws thundering onto the island sounded, and the scent of hares and moorland flooded the clearing. A few moments later, a dark gray tabby stepped through the brambles, her belly round with kits. Darkbreeze gave a bright mew of greeting, with a cheery wave of her tail, as she stepped past the brambles. She blinked curiously as she noticed Blazeheart and Lightfoot. “Oh, hey there. Is Silentstorm here?”

     “She's at camp with her kits,” Blazeheart explained. “But I wanted to talk to you, and all of Silentstorm's friends.” He glanced around at the gathered cats, mewing, “Now that you're all here, we can start.”

     Darkbreeze's ears perked curiously as she sat beside Eeltooth, pressing against his thick pelt to keep warm. Lightfoot sat on Specklefoot's other side, his amber gaze wary. Looking at the cats around him, warriors of all four Clans huddling together like Clanmates, Blazeheart wondered at how much things had changed since he was an apprentice. When he was in training, the Clans had been clearly divided, and Silentpaw's friendships with enemy warriors had been a point of argument between the littermates. He'd never thought he'd be the one gathering Silentstorm's friends together on her behalf.

     “Alright,” Darkbreeze mewed. “What exactly did you want to talk to us about?”

     Blazeheart sighed. He sat in front of the gathered cats, sweeping his tail around his paws. “It's about the prophecy.” Darkbreeze stiffened, but she didn't look surprised. “I don't think it was referring to Silentstorm killing Breeze.”

     Eeltooth's tail fluffed out in surprise, and Specklefoot swapped an alarmed look with Lightfoot. “What do you mean?” Lightfoot asked, a small tremor in his mew. “She was the one to gather our allies together, and she helped kill the rogues' leader.”

     “I know,” Blazeheart mewed. “But there was that omen at the Gathering after the battle. The darkness in the sky spread and blotted out all of the stars. I think it was a sign – there's a greater darkness coming than Breeze and his rogues, and Silentstorm's fight isn't over yet.”

     He could see he wasn't the only cat who'd thought along those lines. Specklefoot was nodding slowly, a grim light to her amber eyes, while Darkbreeze had lowered her head with a sigh, Eeltooth wearing an expression of worry. But Lightfoot was gazing at Blazeheart with an alarmed expression. “I thought it was just a few clouds covering the stars,” he mewed, looking uneasy. “That doesn't have to mean that the prophecy isn't over, does it?” Of the cats gathered now, he alone hadn't been present at that Gathering, and hadn't seen the darkened sky.

     “It was more than that, Lightfoot,” Specklefoot said in a low mew. “It was darker than any cloud, and it blocked out every star in the sky. I've never seen clouds sent from StarClan do that, or come and leave so quickly. It had to be something else. Even the medicine cats said so, even if they didn't know what it was.” She glanced at Blazeheart. “So, you think the prophecy isn't over, and I have to agree. But what can we do about it?”

     Blazeheart sighed, giving a small, frustrated flick of his tail. “I've tried to talk to Silentstorm about it, but she keeps avoiding the subject,” he revealed to the other warriors. “I think she's trying to avoid thinking about the prophecy. I've tried to make her understand that she's still in danger, but she won't listen to me. But if all of her friends get together to tell her, maybe she'll have to listen.” Blazeheart was more worried about his sister's destiny, and her stubborn refusal to acknowledge it, than he cared to admit. He was desperate to do anything to get her to realize the danger she was in.

     The cats around him were beginning to nod slowly. “I think you're right,” Darkbreeze murmured. “Maybe she'll listen to all of us together. And I definitely don't think the prophecy is over, not after what I saw the other day.”

     Blazeheart blinked curiously at the queen. He was about to ask what she meant when a yowl cut him off. “Cats of all Clans, this Gathering has begun!” Reluctantly, he rose to his paws, padding out from behind the brambles and rejoining the crowd, the other cats following behind. They all sat together, looking at the leader's tree.

     Mistystar stood on her branch, her gray-blue pelt clinging to her bones. With the white speckling her muzzle and pelt, the she-cat looked older than any elder. “RiverClan brings two new apprentices to the Gathering this moon,” she announced, her mew cracking with age. Mistystar had already been elderly when Blazeheart first met her, but after everything that had happened in the last few moons, she looked ancient. Blazeheart was beginning to wonder how long it would be until the noble leader was called away by StarClan. “Graypaw and Pikepaw have begun their training. Their mentors will be Robinwing and Lakebird.”

     “Graypaw! Pikepaw! Graypaw! Pikepaw!” Cats began cheering for the new apprentices, who sat with their adopted littermates and their mother Silvershine. But Blazeheart noticed that the cheering was unusually lackluster, and the cheering cats all had dull gazes and too-thin frames. A shiver ran through his pelt. Even this far into leafbare, cats weren't usually this thin or subdued, and his own Clanmates were the thinnest of them all.

     “There is more good news to do with Lakebird today,” Mistystar rasped, pride gleaming in her eyes for her son's son. “Swanfall has moved into the nursery expecting his kits.” More cheers rose for the queen and her mate. Blazeheart spotted the blue-gray tom holding his head high, pride and love shining in his green eyes.

     Mistystar stepped back, letting Tigerstar step forward next. “ShadowClan has three new apprentices this moon,” the dark tabby rumbled. “Cinderpaw, Creampaw, and Tawnypaw have started their training, and will be trained by Mothear, Buffy, and Snowbird.” Cheers rose for the new apprentices, but a few uncertain rumbles were mixed in. Blazeheart could see cats glancing uneasily at Snowbird, who sat beside her new apprentice. The she-cat had been one of the followers of Shrew, a ShadowClan warrior who had led a rebellion against Tigerstar because of his halfClan blood, and had joined her followers with Breeze and his cats. She had later turned on Breeze and returned to her Clan, but Blazeheart could see that not every cat trusted her yet.

     “We also bring several new warriors today,” Tigerstar called out clearly. “Aspenpaw passed her final assessments at the beginning of the moon, and is now Aspenlily. Buffy's kits completed their training three sunrises ago, and are now the warriors Birdstep, Dustyface, Graytail, Shilo, and Tulipfall.”

     He waited for the cheers for the new warriors to die down before settling back onto his haunches. Bramblestar stepped forward next, calling out, “ThunderClan has gained a new warrior this moon. Littlepaw has completed her training, and is now Littledaisy.”

     “Littledaisy! Littledaisy!” cats were cheering. Blazeheart could see his Clanmate sitting with Cloudshade, Aspenlily, and Palestripe, holding her chin up with pride as her name was called by her friends. The tom felt a prickle of unease – it seemed that Silentstorm wasn't the only cat with close friends in all four Clans.

     “We also bring news of a new elder,” Bramblestar continued. “Hazeltail has retired, and will be honored for her moons of service with moons of rest in the elder's den.”

     Cheers rose for the new elder, but quickly fell as Heatherstar stepped forward. The WindClan elder was the newest of the leaders, and other than Tigerstar she was the youngest. Though she hadn't been leader very long, she had the same presence and strength as any leader. But as she stepped forward now, Blazeheart could see a grim, weary light in her blue eyes. “WindClan brings two new warriors to the island tonight,” she announced, though there was a strain in her mew. “Beechleaf and Sparrowfall have earned their full names, and are here tonight for their first Gathering as warriors.”

     She allowed the cheers for the new warriors to continue for a few moments, before giving a swift lash of her tail for silence. “We also have a new elder this moon. Nightcloud has decided to retire, and has joined the elders in their den.”

     Blazeheart glanced at the black she-cat in surprise. The elderly she-cat was standing with a group of elders, a weary gleam to her amber eyes. Though Nightcloud had spent many moons as a rouge, and had helped her son Breeze try to destroy the Clans, in the end she had been willing to turn on her own son to set things right. Despite his initial misgivings about the she-cat, Blazeheart believed she deserved her rest in the elder's den now, after losing her son the way she had.

     “Finally, Honeyheart's kits were born this moon,” Heatherstar pressed on briskly. “Mothkit, Harekit, Cricketkit, and Tawnykit are welcome additions to WindClan, and we hope to keep them safe and strong until they become warriors of our Clan.” The tabby sighed, a grim light in her blue eyes. “But keeping them safe may have just become that much harder.”

     The other leaders glanced at her curiously. “What do you mean?” Tigerstar rumbled, a worried gleam in his amber eyes. Blazeheart heard surprised murmurs through the crowd, and couldn't help but feel a flicker of it himself. It wasn't usual for leaders to admit so much weakness at a Gathering.

     Heatherstar gazed somberly at her fellow leaders as she asked, “Has prey gone missing in any of your territories? Any prey fur or blood scattered on the ground?”

     Blazeheart stiffened. He remembered how patrols the last few days had been returning with reports of prey blood on the ground. Judging by the weary expressions the other leaders wore, it wasn't just ThunderClan's problem. “We've found fish scales and blood in our territory,” Mistystar rasped, Tigerstar and Bramblestar just giving affirming nods. “But we haven't been able to figure out who is taking our prey.”

      _It's a miracle that the leaders aren't accusing each other of the thefts,_ Blazeheart mused, both relieved and uneasy. It certainly made things easier for every cat that the Gathering hadn't become tense with accusations of warriors stealing prey. But on the other paw, it was a bit alarming to see how easily the leaders were willing to trust that an enemy Clan hadn't been the culprit.

     “We've had prey missing too,” Heatherstar mewed. “But we think we may know who was taking it. A few days ago, some of our warriors saw Dark Forest cats on the moor.” Alarmed cries spread through the crowd, but Heatherstar pressed on. “They ran instead of attacking when they were approached by warriors, and they were seen not long after prey fur was found. We think they may have been the ones stealing our prey.”

     ThunderClan and ShadowClan cats were looking alarmed, but Mistystar was nodding slowly. “Some of our warriors thought they'd caught Dark Forest scents in the territory recently,” she revealed. “I wasn't sure that was enough to show that the Dark Forest had returned, and I didn't think to guess that they were the ones stealing prey.”

     Blazeheart could feel horror creeping through his pelt. No cat had seen Dark Forest spirits since the Clans had been driven from the lake. Most cats thought that they wouldn't return now that their ally, Breeze, was dead. But now, it seemed that they had returned again. _Is this the darkness that Silentstorm has to face?_ he wondered, pelt bristling with fear. _Oh StarClan, how she is she meant to defeat this?_

     “But why would Dark Forest cats be stealing prey?” Ratscar called out, fear sparkling in his eyes. “There's no prey in the Dark Forest – they don't need to eat to survive. I don't know if they even _can_ eat.”

     A few cats murmured agreement, but some of the former trainees were looking thoughtful. “It may not have to do with stealing prey to eat it,” Minnowtail murmured. “The Dark Forest cats aren't fools. This could be a move to weaken the Clans, by taking our source of food.”

     Worried murmurs rose through the crowd as cats realized Minnowtail was likely right. “That sounds like something the Dark Forest would do,” Tigerstar rumbled, anger glittering in his eyes. “But if this is the case, we won't be easily able to defend our prey. Dark Forest cats can appear anywhere, and we can't have a constant guard everywhere on our territory.”

     Bramblestar lowered his head, looking thoughtful. “If Dark Forest cats are really stealing our prey, we'll have to send out larger patrols, in case they decide to try and attack smaller groups. Larger patrols, with more cats to hunt, might be able to bring back more prey.”

     “That won't stop them from stealing prey,” Reedwhisker called from the base of the Great Tree.

     Mistystar looked down at her son, rasping, “It sounds like there isn't anything we can do to stop them, at the moment.” Her icy gaze flicked to the crowd, seeming to seek something. “Have the medicine cats heard anything from StarClan about this?” she asked.

     Blazeheart turned to see the medicine cats grouped together, talking to each other in low mews. “At the last half moon, we were warned that our future was darkened by shadows,” Twigclaw called out to the leaders. “But they did not tell us what the danger was, or how we should meet it.”

     “We can ask them again next half moon,” Leafpool added. “But I don't know that they will be able to give us a clear answer. Last time, they could not always see clearly when it came to the Dark Forest.”

     Uneasy murmurs rippled through the crowd, which were silenced by a growl from Bramblestar. “All we can do is keep our Clans fed and protected as best as we can, and meet any challenges as they come.” He glanced at the other leaders. “If we need to unite to face this new threat, we can discuss that when it comes. For now, I think we should return to our Clans. But we can keep a close eye on our borders, and alert the other Clans if more trouble rises from the Dark Forest.”

     The other leaders mewed their agreement. “Very well,” Bramblestar rumbled. “Then this Gathering has ended.”

     With that, the leaders leaped down from the Great Tree, and the crowd began to disperse. Now was their chance. “Come on, before our Clans start to leave,” Blazeheart growled. He herded Silentstorm's friends back behind the brambles, where they huddled around in a group again.

     “So, we need to meet to discuss the prophecy,” Specklefoot said in an urgent mew. “With the Dark Forest cats out there, it seems that the sooner we meet, the better.”

     Eeltooth glanced at the cats around him critically. “It would be too risky to meet on any Clan's territory, I think,” he grunted, “and there's no place outside of Clan territory that wouldn't take too long to travel to.”

     “Why don't we meet here on the island?” Lightfoot suggested quietly. “There's so many scents here from the Gathering, no cat will notice if a few more show up. And we can all travel here and back in one night.”

     Blazeheart nodded slowly. “That sounds like a good plan,” he mewed. “Why don't we meet here in two nights' time, at moonhigh? Lightfoot, you leave camp before me, and I'll convince Silentstorm to come with me later. I'll convince her that one of you wanted to ask her something important, or something like that, anything to get her to the island. Once she's here, we'll tell her our thoughts about the prophecy, and we'll make her realize that the Dark Forest cats might be coming for her.”

     Without warning, a surprised gasp sounded from outside of the brambles. Every cat stiffened, their gazes flitting towards the brambles where the sound had come from. A few moments later, a tiny she-cat pushed past the bramble patch, amber eyes wide. Blazeheart stiffened at the sight of her. “Ambertalon?” he gasped.

     The tiny queen looked just as surprised as her mate. “I was just coming to see if you were ready to leave,” she mewed, staring at the gathered cats. “Then I heard you talking.” Her tail was bristling with shock. “What's all this about a prophecy, and Silentstorm, and the Dark Forest?”

     Blazeheart shared an alarmed glance with the others. He hadn't meant to let Silentstorm's secret slip to another cat, not even his mate. But it couldn't be helped now. And the more he thought about it, he couldn't deny that he would like having his mate's help in this matter. “It's a long story,” he mewed carefully.

     Darkbreeze, Lightfoot, and Eeltooth still looked surprised, but Specklefoot's whiskers were twitching in amusement. “There's no time to go into all of it here,” she told the tiny queen. “Blazeheart can tell you about it later. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have another of Silentstorm's Clanmates helping out with this.”

     Ambertalon still looked confused, but after a questioning glance towards Blazeheart, she mewed, “Fair enough.” Blazeheart pressed against his mate's side, touching his nose to her ear. “But if Silentstorm's in trouble, I want to know all about it.”

     “I don't blame you,” Eeltooth mewed gruffly. “I guess that's another cat we'll be bringing to the island in two nights.”

     Darkbreeze hesitated, then mewed, “As long as we're bringing cats in on the secret, does any cat mind if I tell Nightfern?”

     Every cat looked at the WindClan queen with surprise. “Nightfern doesn't know Silentstorm very well, does she?” Eeltooth asked. “Why would she be brought in on this?”

     “Well, she helped kill Breeze,” Darkbreeze pointed out. “Even if that wasn't what the prophecy was about, she did help save the Clans. And... well, she's been so miserable ever since Gray and Shadepaw died. I'm really worried about her. Maybe if she can help us out with the prophecy, it'll make her feel like she's really helping something again, instead of just wallowing in her own misery.”

     Blazeheart hesitated a moment, before giving a small nod. “Might as well,” he mewed. While he didn't like the idea of letting too many cats in on the secret without Silentstorm's permission, Nightfern had earned it if any cat had.

     Specklefoot lifted her muzzle, ears flicking towards the clearing. “Our Clanmates will be expecting us now,” she told the others. “We should go now before we're missed. But we'll all be here in two nights' time?”

     All of the gathered cats mewed their agreement. “We'll be here,” Eeltooth rumbled. Even Ambertalon agreed, even as her amber eyes glowed with confusion.

     “Good,” Blazeheart mewed briskly, rising to his paws. “Then let's go. And when we reach camp, Ambertalon, I'll tell you everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, this is a long one. Almost 5000 words. O.O I tried to cut it down when I went back to edit it, but I just ended up making it longer. XD And yet it still felt rushed. I would have cut it into two chapters, but since every single book in EOTW has twenty-six chapters, I feel like this one needs to as well. Ah well. Hopefully I can make the pacing better in the later chapters.
> 
> So we see Blazeheart making plans behind Silentstorm's back, so he and the others can make Silentstorm see the danger she's in, and start facing the truth about the prophecy. We also see that Ambertalon has accidentally overheard about the prophecy, and it seems that Nightfern is about to learn as well. ^^ This should be interesting.
> 
> Honeyheart's kits are already described in the allegiances, so I don't need to do that here. As I've said before, two of them are named after old OCs of mine. Aspenlily is named that because she's a bit vain and pretty, though definitely clever and brave as a warrior. Mostly, the name just sounded cool to me. :P Birdstep is named after being gentle and quiet, Dustyface after his dusty brown face, Graytail after her gray tail, Shilo after Buffy's mother as previously stated, and Tulipfall... I don't know, it sounded cool. :P Beechleaf and Sparrowfall are named such because they sounded cool. :P I didn't really have deep meanings for most of these names, sorry. I try to usually, but I don't always succeed.
> 
> Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon, and it won't be quite so monstrously big as this one. ^^


	7. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night of the meeting has arrived

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Five

     The tom lay in his nest, the pelts of sleeping warriors pressed all against him. To all appearances, he was as asleep as the rest of them. But in truth, he lay awake, ears perked for the slightest sound. He waited as the gentle mews of the few cats still awake faded away to snores. Only once he was sure that every other cat was asleep did the tom stir. He rose silently to his paws, amber eyes blinking in the darkness of the den. Gingerly, he picked his way around his sleeping Clanmates, until he had made it out of the den and into the clearing beyond.

     Moonlight spilled into the clearing below, casting the snow-covered grass and the streams surrounding the clearing in silver light. The moon was no longer full, but only a thin slice had been clawed from its side, and the light was still as bright as the night of the Gathering. The reeds were swaying lightly in the breeze, the water's surface rippling, reflecting the moonlight as it murmured past. The tom stood still for a few moments, gaze sweeping around the camp for a few moments, before he was satisfied that he was alone.

     Silently, he padded up to one of the streams, sliding easily into the water. Cold leafbare water sent a chill all the way to his bones, but he ignored it, swimming strongly to the other side. Once he'd reached the snowy bank and had shaken the water from his pelt, he began padding away.

     The quiet sounds of crickets chirping and night-birds singing followed the tom as he padded through the snowy field. The tom was filled with determination as he strode through the snow. This was no leisurely stroll through the moonlight; he had something important to do, and a cat who needed his help. And no one from his Clan could know he had gone. He finally arrived at the lake, following its edge until he reached the pebble bridge that led to the Gathering island.

     “Eeltooth.”

     The tom spun around, pelt fluffing out in shock. A sleek, dark gray she-cat, nearly identical to himself was standing behind him, amber eyes glowing with suspicion. “Finstrike!” the tom gasped. He hadn't been aware that any cat was following him.

     Finstrike watched her brother, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I heard you leaving the den,” she explained in a clipped me. Her eyes narrowed. “I don't usually see you sneaking out of camp in the middle of the night.”

     Eeltooth flicked his ears back uncomfortably, but he covered his unease with his gruff tone. “I wasn't sneaking anywhere,” he growled, glaring down his sister. “I'm allowed to go on a walk in my own territory at night if I want to.”

     “Sure,” Finstrike snorted. Her shrewd amber gaze swept past him, looking pointedly at the pebble bridge behind him. “You just decided to go on a walk to the Gathering island in the middle of the night.” She took a step towards her brother, her eyes narrowed. “What's going on? What are you really doing out here?”

     The gray tom glared at his sister. Inside, his mind was reeling as he tried to figure out a way to explain himself. He knew his sister was too smart to buy any frog-brained lies, and she was too stubborn to let up if he refused to tell her. She wouldn't go back to camp; she would follow him onto the island whether he liked it or not. But he couldn't tell her the truth.

     Two nights had passed since the Gathering, and it was the night that Eeltooth had agreed to meet with Silentstorm and their friends on the Gathering island to discuss the prophecy. Dark Forest cats had been spotted on RiverClan territory, and after Heatherstar's report at the Gathering, he knew that the Dark Forest was stealing prey from all of the Clans. If the Dark Forest was truly the darkness that Silentstorm was destined to defeat, then she needed to be warned, and prepared. Eeltooth only hoped that Silentstorm would be willing to listen when she saw that she had the support of her friends.

     He knew that figuring out the prophecy and defeating the darkness would be to the benefit of all Clans, and that meeting to discuss the prophecy was in the best interests of his duty as a warrior, and not just his duty as a friend. But Finstrike had always been suspicious of close friendships between Clans, and Eeltooth knew she worried about his friendships outside of the Clan. She wouldn't be pleased to learn that he had sneaked out of camp to meet with his friends in the other Clans to trade secrets.

     “I couldn't sleep, so I came out here to fish,” he grunted, fluffing out his pelt as he tried to make the lie convincing. “I couldn't find any, so I just followed the edge of the lake, and I happened to be at the pebble bridge when you stopped me. Happy?”

     Finstrike just snorted in reply. “If you wanted to fish, you just could have found a stream closer to camp,” she pointed out.

     “There weren't any fish there,” Eeltooth countered with a growl.

     “You didn't even check,” Finstrike reminded him. “I saw you, you headed straight for the lake.” For a moment, her glare faded, her tone growing softer. “I don't want to fight, Eeltooth. I know you wouldn't sneak out to the island unless it was something serious. What is it?”

     Eeltooth felt a flicker of guilt. He hated lying to his sister, but at the same time, the secret of the prophecy wasn't his to tell. The tom opened his jaws to try a new tactic, only to stiffen as he heard pawsteps approaching. Both RiverClan warriors turned to see a pale tortoiseshell following the edge of the lake, approaching them with a friendly flick of her tail.

     Finstrike's eyes widened, her growl sharp with suspicion. “What is that ShadowClan cat doing on our territory?” she hissed, back arching.

     She started to stalk towards the tortoiseshell, but Eeltooth cut her off, giving her a firm glare. “She's not intruding,” he reminded her. “She's within two fox-lengths of the lake. That's allowed.” He turned to look back at the tortoiseshell, mewing a greeting as she drew closer. “Hi, Specklefoot.”

     “Hi, Eeltooth,” Specklefoot purred. She touched her nose to the gray tom's, only to draw back in surprise at Finstrike's furious growl. Her amber gaze grew uncertain as she looked between the littermates. “I wasn't aware you were bringing your sister along to this,” she mewed, sounding confused.

     “Along to what?” Finstrike demanded, giving her tail a sharp lash. She glared at her brother, growling, “Something you've been planning with your friends here?” 

     Eeltooth glared back at his sister. “I didn't bring her,” he clarified in an irritated growl. “She followed me from camp.

     For a moment, amusement flashed in Specklefoot's eyes. “Getting slow in your old age, Eeltooth?” she teased lightly. “Next time, be more careful about whether cats are following you.” She glanced back at Finstrike, mewing, “You might as well bring her. I don't think she'll just go back to camp, now that's she's seen me. As long as she can keep the secret.”

     The tom glanced back at his sister, contemplating. If Finstrike thought what he was doing was treason, she might tell Mistystar. She certainly wouldn't keep a secret for Silentstorm's sake, or the sake of any of the others, if she thought it went against the warrior code. _But even if she doesn't understand, she might keep it for me,_ Eeltooth thought, meeting his sister's narrowed gaze. _But I can make her understand. I hope I can make her understand. I have to._

     “I'll bring her,” he told Specklefoot. “But I have to explain it to her first. Tell the others we'll be there in just a bit.” Specklefoot dipped her head, then padded off across the pebble bridge, leaving the RiverClan littermates alone.

     Once Specklefoot was gone, Finstrike turned on her brother with a sharp hiss. “Have you got frog's guts for brains?” she hissed, tail fluffing out in alarm. “What in StarClan are you thinking? I know you have friends in the other Clans, but you can't just go meeting them in the middle of the night like this!”

     Eeltooth pinned his ears back, jerking his chin up sharply. “I know that,” he growled. “I'm not a fool, and I'm not just out here for some gossip.”

     For a moment, Finstrike's expression softened. “I know things were different in the city, but the Clans are separate again now,” she told her brother, concern heavy in her tone. “You can't depend on your friends from the other Clans the way you could when we were all living together. I don't want to see you get in trou–”

     “There's a prophecy about Silentstorm,” Eeltooth mewed bluntly.

     Finstrike froze, eyes wide with shock. “What?” Eeltooth felt a flicker of amusement at her stunned expression.

     The tom's whiskers twitched, pleased that he'd managed to surprise his sister. “Before the rogues drove us from the lake, a StarClan warrior told Silentstorm that there's a prophecy about her, saying that she's destined to stop the darkness. The cats who know about the prophecy are meeting tonight to discuss it and try to figure out how to help Silentstorm save the Clans from the Dark Forest.”

     For a few moments, Finstrike seemed to struggle for words. But she soon reigned in her shock. “How do you know for sure that there's a prophecy?” she asked, tail twitching uneasily. “Just because Silentstorm says so –”

     “Breeze knew about the prophecy too,” Eeltooth interrupted again. “Some Dark Forest spirit or something told him about it, and he told his cats. Nightcloud knew about the prophecy, so I didn't just hear it from Silentstorm, if you're trying to imply that she's a liar.” The last words were spoken in a low growl, irritation creeping into his tone.

     Finstrike rolled her eyes. “I wasn't implying anything,” she mewed impatiently. “But a prophecy from StarClan isn't something to be taken lightly. Why is this prophecy being kept a secret? What does it say, exactly? Who knows about it?”

     Eeltooth sighed. “I can explain it all later. But right now, I need to meet with the others. Silentstorm thinks the prophecy ended with the death of Breeze, but we're all sure that there must be more to it. We're bringing her here tonight to warn her – and now that you know about the prophecy, you can come too. I'll explain everything that we know about the prophecy later.”

     The sleek she-cat watched him with narrowed for a few moments, before looking away with a sigh. “I'm not foolish enough to think I can stop you,” she grumbled. “I might as well keep an eye on you and your frogbrained friends. I'll come.”

     The tom felt a rush of relief. “Alright. Then let's go.” Eeltooth turned away, beginning to lead his sister over the pebble bridge. The two RiverClan warriors stepped through the ferns once they reached the shore, glancing around curiously. The clearing was always crawling with cats whenever Eeltooth was there; it was strange to see it so empty. The only cats on the island were Lightfoot, Ambertalon, Specklefoot, Darkbreeze, and Nightfern.

     Darkbreeze and Specklefoot were sitting together, their heads bowed as they spoke in quiet mews to each other. Nightfern was beside her sister, glancing around uneasily, while Ambertalon and Lightfoot were sitting a few paces away, Lightfoot looking uneasy while Ambertalon just looked curious. They all looked up as Eeltooth and Finstrike padded into the clearing. “Hey Eeltooth!” Darkbreeze greeted. She leaped lightly onto her paws, trotting up to Eeltooth and touching her nose to his with a short purr. Finstrike glared at the she-cat, but didn't protest.

     As Eeltooth and Finstrike padded over to the others, Darkbreeze explained, “We're just waiting for Blazeheart to bring Silentstorm now. It shouldn't be too long now.”

     “Good thing, too,” Eeltooth grunted, fluffing out his pelt against the cold. “My pelt is going to freeze off if we have to stay out here too long.” Even though his tone was gruff, he could feel anxiety pricking at his pelt. What would Silentstorm have to say about their warnings? Would she listen? And if she did, would they be able to help her figure out the prophecy? He sat beside Finstrike, wrapping his tail around his paws.

     They didn't have to wait very long. Pawsteps sounded from behind the ferns circling the island, and Eeltooth could hear Silentstorm's grumbling. “Alright, what exactly was so important that Eeltooth had to make you drag me all the way out here...” Silentstorm trailed off as she pushed through the ferns. Her nose was twitching as she took in the scents of the gathered cats, her ears flying back in alarm. She froze, her mew high in surprise. “What's going on? Why are all of these cats here?”

     Blazeheart stepped out behind his sister, shaking his pelt briefly. “I can explain,” he mewed quietly. The tabby's green gaze was wary as he regarded his sister. “But it's important. Please, just listen to what we have to say.”

     Silentstorm hesitated, looking uneasy. But after a moment, she started padding towards the other cats, her brother following behind. Her ears flew forward with surprise as she padded towards Darkbreeze, sniffing the heavily-pregnant queen all over. “Great StarClan, what are you doing out of camp?” Silentstorm demanded, tail-tip twitching anxiously. “You're too close to kitting to be out in the cold like this. You too, mousebrain,” she added to Specklefoot, who sat a tail-length away.

     Darkbreeze butted her muzzle against Silentstorm's neck. “I'm fine, harebrain,” she purred. “I made it to the Gathering just fine, didn't I? And I still have a moon before the kits are coming.” For a moment, tenderness and worry flashed in her gaze in equal measure. Eeltooth, who sat on Darkbreeze's other side, touched his nose briefly to her ear in an affectionate gesture. He knew Darkbreeze had to be nervous about raising her half kittypet kits without their father. But he also knew that Darkbreeze would be an amazing mother to those kits, and that with their mother and her kin, they were going to grow up loved.

     Silentstorm touched noses briefly with Specklefoot in greeting, turning next to Eeltooth. The tom purred briefly as he touched noses with his ThunderClan friend. As she drew back, Lightfoot and Ambertalon approached, the tom pressing his muzzle against Silentstorm's neck. The blind she-cat's expression grew more serious. “Alright, what is this all about?” she asked. “Why are you all here, and why did you lie to get me here?”

     Specklefoot sighed. “Your brother asked us to meet with you here tonight,” she explained. “We just want to help you, Silentstorm. We're you're friends.”

     The blind queen was looking more uneasy by the moment. Gently, Blazeheart began to explain, “We brought you here to talk about the prophecy.”

     Instantly, Silentstorm stiffened, fear flashing in her eyes. Eeltooth was alarmed at the sudden expression of terror the queen wore, which was gone as quickly as it had appeared. _Silentstorm isn't a coward,_ he thought, unease prickling at his pelt. _If she thinks the prophecy is over, why would she look that afraid when the prophecy is mentioned?_

     The she-cat's expression shifted into one of irritation. “I see. And you felt it was important enough to drag me away from my kits into the freezing cold, all the way to the Gathering island, to discuss a prophecy that's over and done with? And if it's about the prophecy, what are those three,” she gestured towards Ambertalon, Nightfern, and Finstrike, “doing here? Since when do they know anything about it?”

     “I overheard them talking about it by accident,” Ambertalon explained in her blunt mew. “Blazeheart told me about it after.” The queen gave an irritated hiss, but Ambertalon mewed briskly, “Don't be mad at him, I'd already overheard enough, and it wasn't like I would've let him keep the rest from me.”

     Darkbreeze mewed gently, “I asked to tell Nightfern. Even if the prophecy doesn't refer to defeating Breeze, she did help us kill him.”

     Nightfern still looked uneasy, her amber gaze darting around the gathered cats with a wary glow. But her mew was strong as she said, “I don't know what to make of this prophecy, and I don't know all of these cats well. But if there's a darkness coming for the Clans, I want to help.”

     Silentstorm glared sightlessly at the mottled she-cat a few moments longer, then turned away with an odd twitch of her tail. “I guess that's alright then,” she mewed gruffly. She turned next to Finstrike, growling, “What about you?”

     The RiverClan warrior glared evenly at Silentstorm, sniffing, “I saw my brother sneaking out of camp and wanted to know why. He didn't see me until we reached the island, and I saw Specklefoot sneaking there too. And now, I want to know what exactly is going on with this prophecy, and all of this sneaking around. If there's a way to beat the Dark Forest, why don't the leaders and medicine cats know about it? Why are you hiding?”

     Silentstorm pulled back her lips in a snarl. “There's nothing to hide,” she said sharply. “The prophecy has nothing to do with the Dark Forest. Breeze was threatening the Clans, he's dead, end of story. The prophecy is over.”

     Something was off about her tone. There was a flick of unease in her gray eyes, her mew just a hint too rushed. Suspicion began to prickle at the back of Eeltooth's mind. He rose to his paws, approaching the massive queen. “There's something you're not telling us,” he grunted, ears flicking towards the queen.

     The unease flared up in her gray gaze. “Don't be mousebrained,” she growled. “I'm not hiding anything. Breeze is dead, and the prophecy is over.”

     “Silentstorm, at the Gathering after the battle, there was a sign,” Blazeheart told his sister gently. “The clouds blotted out the moon, and all of the stars. It was a darkness unlike anything I've ever seen.”

     “So what?” Silentstorm mewed briskly. “Storms happen. It isn't always a sign from StarClan.”

     Specklefoot fixed the blind queen with a stern glare. “It wasn't just StarClan covering the moon,” she mewed firmly, “or just a random storm. The entire sky was filled with darkness. It was a sign, but not from our ancestors. It had to be the darkness we were warned of. And now, with Dark Forest cats stealing prey and appearing in the forest again...”

     Lightfoot picked up her thought. “We think the Dark Forest is the darkness you're meant to defeat, Silentstorm.”

     For a moment, the she-cat turned her muzzle towards her mate, her expression oddly blank. There was something chilling in her blind gaze, something dark and dull and resigned that had Eeltooth's pelt prickling with unease. “That's mousebrained,” she mewed in a flat tone.

      _Something's wrong._ Eeltooth took another step towards his friend, his hackles raising. The tom had spent a whole moon with Silentstorm living with his Clan like a denmate. He knew Silentstorm as well as his own Clanmates, the way her eyes lit up when she was happy, how her ears flicked back when she was nervous, the curl of her lip when she was annoyed. And he knew how to read the shifty look in her eyes now. “You're lying,” he growled. “There's something you aren't telling us.” A chill ran through his pelt as he realized, “You already know the prophecy isn't over, don't you? You know more about the prophecy than you're telling us.”

     Blazeheart looked at Eeltooth in surprise, and alarm. “What are you talking about?” he asked, a tremor in his mew. His gaze slid from Eeltooth to his sister. “Silentstorm?”

     The queen didn't answer. The anger was gone from her expression. Now, her gray eyes held a look of grim resignation, and of fear. Lightfoot pressed against Silentstorm's side, his amber eyes glowing with fear. “Silentstorm?” he murmured, pressing his muzzle against her neck. “What's going on? Is there more to the prophecy that you haven't said?”

     Eeltooth was surprised to see that Silentstorm was starting to tremble. She laid her chin over Lightfoot's head, seeming to draw comfort from the closeness of her mate as she drew in a shuddering breath. “I'm sorry,” she murmured. “But there's nothing else any of you can do to help me.” Her dull tone sent a chill through Eeltooth's pelt.

     The others looked just as chilled. “What are you talking about?” Darkbreeze asked, sounding uneasy. She reached out her muzzle, bumping it against Silentstorm's chin in a teasing gesture. “No matter what's coming, we'll stand beside you, and if we'll fight with you if that's what it takes.”

     “She's right,” Ambertalon growled, amber eyes flashing in the darkness. “I'll claw out as many Dark Forest throats as it takes, if that's what the prophecy calls for. And we're certainly not leaving you to face this prophecy alone. I don't know much about this prophecy, or what exactly you're supposed to do to defeat the Dark Forest. But you're my Clanmate, and I'll always stand by you.”

     “And so will the rest of us,” Specklefoot said firmly. “Just tell us what we have to do, and we'll do it. None of our Clans will be safe until the Dark Forest is defeated, and we certainly aren't going to stand to the side while our friend is in danger.” All around the clearing, the gathered cats gave mews of agreement.

     Finstrike stayed silent at first, watching the proceedings with narrowed eyes, but even she dipped her head at Specklefoot's words. “I don't know about this prophecy, but I'll fight beside whoever I have to in order to keep my Clan safe from the Dark Forest,” she grunted.

     Silentstorm closed her eyes, her expression pained. “I wish it were that simple,” she murmured. Somehow, her dull tone now was far more unsettling than her earlier anger. With a shaky breath, she pulled away from Lightfoot, her gray gaze dull with fear. “But it isn't. I'm sorry. This is my burden to carry.”

     The blind she-cat turned away from her friends, picking up a brisk trot as she started off towards the pebble bridge. “Wait!” Blazeheart called desperately. He bounded after Silentstorm, but she pushed past him, trotting across the pebble bridge to the other shore before taking off at a run.

     Blazeheart stared desperately after his sister for a few moments, before returning to the gathered cats, green eyes filled with fear. “I've never seen Silentstorm that scared before,” he mewed.

     Eeltooth felt as shaken as the tabby looked, and he could see that the others felt the same. Silentstorm had always been a bold cat, facing whatever came her way with the same stubborn courage that had brought her to RiverClan during the terrible storm. If she was this scared, and this determined to keep her role in the prophecy a secret, it must be worse than what Eeltooth could imagine.

     For several moments, no cat spoke. Then, Nightfern murmured, “What are we going to do?”

     “I don't know,” Specklefoot mewed. The tortoiseshell queen looked as shaken as the rest of them, but she was clearly making an effort to collect herself. “Clearly, Silentstorm knows more about the prophecy than we thought, and for whatever reason, she's keeping it from us. There isn't much we can do when we don't know how the prophecy is meant to be fulfilled.”

     Eeltooth glanced towards the pebble bridge, fear and worry clawing at his heart. He had already known that the Dark Forest likely played a role in the prophecy, and he'd heard the stories of how devastating the battle against them had been. But after Silentstorm's fearful silence tonight, the future seemed darker than ever before. _StarClan save us all,_ he prayed silently.

     But after a moment, he began to draw himself up. Silentstorm had always been stubborn, and he knew that she wouldn't tell them anything as long as she thought it was right. But he had a stubbornness to match her, and even if she was determined to push her friends away, he had no intention of sitting out the fight to come. “We can't make her tell us what the prophecy is about,” he growled, drawing the attention of the other gathered cats. “But we can try to figure it out ourselves. And even if we don't find out, we can stand by her side when she has to fight, whenever and whatever the battle will be.”

     Blazeheart and Nightfern looked at the RiverClan tom bleakly, still looking too stunned and afraid to register his words. But Specklefoot's amber gaze had taken on a determined gleam, and Darkbreeze and Lightfoot were nodding, while Ambertalon dug her claws into the ground with a low growl. “You're right,” Ambertalon growled. “We have to fight.”

     “But we can't fight if we don't know when the battle will be, if it's going to be battle,” Specklefoot cautioned. “We can't rely on Silentstorm to tell us, so we'll have to get any information we can on our own.” Her amber gaze was sharp and thoughtful as it swept over the gathered cats. “Darkbreeze, Ambertalon, you and I are stuck in the nursery, but the rest of you, keep your eyes and ears open on your patrols. If you learn anything about the Dark Forest, how they're moving through the territories, or what they're doing or planning, pass on the word to the others. We have to figure out what they're planning if we have any hope of beating them, and helping Silentstorm with the prophecy.”

     “We can still hear from the patrols while we're in the nursery,” Darkbreeze pointed out. “And we can sneak out of camp to pass the word on if we need to.” Specklefoot gave an approving nod.

     Eeltooth looked at the cats gathered around him, starting to feel his confidence building again. He knew that all of these cats would fight beside him, and beside Silentstorm, to the death if that was what it took. Whatever darkness lay ahead, whatever the Dark Forest and the prophecy had in store for Silentstorm, they would all stand together to face it.

     He only hoped it would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, I'm not totally satisfied with this one, but hey, it's done. :P And it's nice to have a new POV to explore.
> 
> So yeah, another of the new POVs I mentioned is Eeltooth's. ^^ For some reason, it was harder to write his POV than Darkbreeze's. I think he's just more quiet about his thoughts, if that makes sense. But he's gruff and a fun character, and it's nice to see Finstrike from the point of view of someone who she isn't always glaring at. :P
> 
> So now Finstrike knows about the prophecy, as do Ambertalon and Nightfern. ^^ This should be interesting. And now they all suspect that Silentstorm knows more than she's telling them, and they can see how afraid she is. But they're determined to fight beside her anyway.
> 
> I shall try to get the next chapter posted soon. I have finals coming up, though, so updates might slow down for a bit. We'll see. Finals definitely come first.


	8. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm flees the Gathering Island

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Six

     Silentstorm raced away from the Gathering Island, her heart pounding. _They know,_ she thought wildly, her mind racing with terror. _They know it isn't over. Oh StarClan, help me!_

     Eventually, the queen slowed, trying to calm her panicked thoughts. As she got her bearings back, she realized that she had fled into WindClan territory. She slowed to a trot, sniffing around curiously a few moments, before she was able to figure out where she was in relation to the lake. Once she'd reached the lake's edge again, the she-cat began to follow it back towards her own territory, her mind dull with horror.

     When Nightcloud had accidentally revealed the prophecy to Silentstorm's friends, part of her had been glad. She was finally able to share part of the the burden of the prophecy with the cats who cared about her and fought beside her. But even then, before she'd known the full extent of the prophecy, she had held back part of the truth. She hadn't told her friends about Shade, afraid of what the vengeful spirit would do to living cats who knew of her existence, and she hadn't told them about Rock. She had suspected even then that the prophecy would call on her to make sacrifices that she wouldn't be willing to burden any cat with the knowledge of. And now, she knew that she was right.

     Silentstorm flattened her ears back, her pelt burning with shame as she remembered the suspicion and worry of her friends as they questioned her. All they wanted was to help her, and help fulfill the prophecy. But there was nothing any of them could do to help her defeat Shade. In the end, it would just be a battle between herself, possessed by Rock, and Shade, two powerful spirits too strong for any living cat to fight.

     Her friends didn't even know the true stakes of the battle. They thought it was only the Clans that would suffer if the darkness was undefeated. But Silentstorm knew better. If Shade won the battle, StarClan and all of the other good spirits that had ever existed would be forced to walk in the Dark Forest, and the living world would be cast into darkness and desolation, the dark spirits free to roam the world and harm the living as they pleased. The living world would become a barren, rotting world like the Dark Forest, and both the dead and the living would suffer for all eternity. It wasn't just the burden of saving four small Clans that weighed on Silentstorm's shoulders; it was the fate of the entire world. Creatures and places that Silentstorm had never even dreamed of, far beyond the reaches of her Clan's territory, would be doomed forever if she lost the battle to come.

     That was what was at stake. That was the choice she had to make. And that was why she couldn't tell her friends any of it. She was the only one who could make the choice that would stop the darkness from destroying the world. She would be the only one to carry the burden. All her friends could do if they knew the truth was worry, or even worse, try to stop her. Guilt and shame flooded the she-cat at the thought of lying to her friends, but she knew how great the burden was that she carried. At least she could do something about it – she wouldn't lay that burden on a cat who couldn't do anything to actually change things.

     Slowly, the open moorland began to fall away behind her, Silentstorm slipping comfortably back into the snowy forest as she crossed into her own territory. All she wanted was to return to her nest, hold her kits close to her, and try to forget what lay in store for her for a while. But to her surprise, she realized her paws weren't carrying her towards the camp. Instead, she soon found herself standing in front of a familiar burrow, which smelled vaguely of fox. _The entrance to the tunnels._

     Silentstorm hadn't realized where she had been going, but now that she was here, she knew it was where she wanted to be. She had not spoken with Rock since the Code's Battle. Though Silentstorm didn't exactly like the vague and irritating tom, he was the best source of knowledge she had in regards to the prophecy. And tonight, after having to lie to her friends, she wanted more answers.

     With a lash of her tail, the blind queen ducked into the abandoned fox den, letting her whiskers guide her as she descended into the tunnel. The sleek, wet stone under her paws told her that she was getting closer, until she finally found herself in the open cavern under the lake. Silentstorm padded slowly out into the cavern, hearing the murmur of the underground river a few fox-lengths away. “Rock?” she called, ears swiveling around for any sign of the tom. Part of her worried that she would be greeted by Shade instead, but she tried to push that thought away. The Spirit of Darkness hadn't dared to confront her ever since Rock had scared her away. “Are you here? I want to talk.”

     “I'm here, Silent One.” The queen started, whirling to face the low mew. She could hear Rock's tail brushing against the sleek stone, telling her that the tom was sitting a few tail-lengths behind her. “I have nothing left to hide from you,” he rasped, his mew wearier than she had heard it before. “Ask me whatever you wish. I will answer.”

     Silentstorm's hackles bristled as she took in the tom's weary tone. Rock sounded exhausted, his tone dull, almost resigned. She had never heard the powerful spirit sound so weak before. But she forced her hackles to lie flat, approaching to the tom and sitting in front of him.

     She hadn't really planned this meeting, or what she was going to ask the tom. But now, with him sitting in front of her, seeing him for the first time since he'd told her the truth of the prophecy, the words burst from her like a dam. “Why me?” she blurted out, tail lashing with sudden emotion. “Why did you choose me to help you beat Shade? Why not someone else, someone braver or older...” _Or someone with nothing to lose,_ she added privately, thinking of her Clan and her kits. The stakes were so much higher now than they would have been a few moons ago. Now, she had two tiny kits who needed her. If she died saving the world from the darkness, she would be abandoning them.

     Rock was silent for a few moments after Silentstorm's outburst. When he spoke again, it was in a tone tinged with sympathy. “After I defeated Shade, and Hawthorn allowed me to use his body, I feared the day when Shade would return to get her revenge,” he rasped. “One night, when I was sitting and watching the sun set over the lake, I saw a vision of the future.” Silentstorm stiffened, her pelt prickling with unease. “A powerful warrior with a black pelt, a white stripe sitting between her blind gray eyes. I saw this warrior, and I knew that this was the cat who would one day help me defeat Shade when she rose again. I saw you in battle with Shade, though I could not make out the form that Shade took.”

     Silentstorm's breath caught. “Did you see if I won?” she asked, starting to feel a pinprick of hope.

     “I didn't,” Rock admitted. “The vision ended before the battle's end. But when I saw you, you were matching Shade blow for blow. I could see that this was the best outcome of the future, the best chance at a future where Shade was defeated. I had to follow the vision, and take on the body of the blind warrior, if there was a hope of Shade losing the battle.”

     Silentstorm's pelt trembled as she listened, horror welling up inside of her. “So you don't even know for sure that I can win this fight, even if I agree,” she realized. “How do you know some other cat wouldn't be any better? I'm sure there's stronger fighters out there.” Her tail lashed as a torrent of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. “For StarClan's sake, why not choose Lionblaze? He has the power of the stars in his paws – he's the strongest fighter ever!”

     The spirit gave an irritated lash of his tail, which came across as a weak flick. Silentstorm felt a stab of alarm as she was struck with how weak the tom had become. “If there was a chance any other cat could win that fight, I would have seen them in the vision, not you,” he hissed impatiently. “Your father has the power to win battles against any mortal cat. But he has no such power against a spirit like Shade. He would only be as strong as any other fighter.” Rock growled, thrusting his muzzle in Silentstorm's face as the she-cat flinched away. “Don't make any mistake. I won't accept any body except for yours. It's the only chance of defeating Shade. I won't take a chance on any other cat, no matter how much your friends might want to take your place to protect you. This was the vision I was given, and this is the way things must be.”

     Cold realization came over the queen. _He doesn't know for sure._ Silentstorm let her fur lie flat, feeling like she was really seeing the tom for the first time. _He's just guessing._ There was something horrifying in the realization that Rock didn't have all of the answers, but also something strangely relieving. Silentstorm felt all the more afraid now that she realized the one who had given the prophecy was not certain of her ability to win this fight. It all just felt like guesswork and hoping now, not some destiny written out by the stars.

     But at least now she could see that Rock was on the same ground as she was. The prophecy required just as much blind loyalty from him, calling on him to blindly trust his vision without any assurance that it would result in victory. She would have to trust just as blindly, and be willing to sacrifice her freedom and control of herself to even have a chance at defeating Shade. There was something comforting in knowing that she wasn't the only one putting blind trust into this prophecy.

     Silentstorm examined the tom in front of her, taking in his faded scent, and the slow swishing of his bony tail against the stones. She didn't know this tom very well, and she didn't particularly like him. He was too secretive, and too prone to pushing cats to accept their destiny without giving them all of the facts or really helping them. She didn't know if she entirely trusted him. But she knew deep down that he was her only hope to defeat Shade. They were going to have to work together if they were going to win this battle. And no matter who she had to trust, what she had to sacrifice, and how scared she was, she would do whatever it took to stop the darkness from destroying the light.

     “I'm willing to do what I have to do to stop Shade,” she finally mewed in reply, her tone even. “But I can't leave my kits yet. It could be seasons before Shade decides to attack, for all we know.”

     There was a small pause. When Rock replied, his tone was grave and urgent. “There is something important you must know,” he rasped. “The rogue Scorch is still alive.”

     Silentstorm stiffened in shock. “What?”

     “I've seen her,” Rock told her urgently. “I can't tell where she is; Shade is hiding her from me. But I know that she is alive, and that wherever she is, Shade is speaking with her in her dreams, and guiding her.”

     The blind queen bristled in shock. Scorch had been Breeze's strongest and most loyal supporter, and the mother of his kits. In the Code's Battle, Silentstorm had nearly been killed by the powerful rogue, Velma and Cosima had saved her life, and together they had defeated Scorch. Silentstorm's claws had torn a terrible gash in Scorch's throat, and the she-cat had stumbled from the battle, bleeding out her life. Silentstorm had thought the wound was too grave for any cat to survive. But it seemed she was wrong – and now, Scorch was allying herself with Shade.

     Horrible realization crashed over Silentstorm. “She... she's the one that Shade is going to try and possess, isn't she?” Silentstorm breathed. She knew what a powerful fighter Scorch was. If Shade possessed the rogue, she would be a force to reckon with.

     Rock sighed. “I believe so, yes,” he wheezed. “I can't tell where Scorch is, or what she and Shade are planning. They've been meeting for some time now, ever since the Code's Battle. And it isn't just Shade – I think she's been speaking to cats in the Dark Forest as well.”

     “Dark Forest cats?” Silentstorm repeated, surprised. “Why would she be talking with cats in the Dark Forest?”

     The tom shrugged helplessly. “I don't know,” he admitted. “Shade is keeping her shielded from my sight as much as she can. All I can tell you is what I've seen. But now that Shade has found a cat who may provide her with a body, we're closer than ever to battle.”

     A cold chill ran through Silentstorm's pelt. She had know for a few moons now that this battle was coming. But now that it was so much closer, fear even greater than before was building in her heart. The queen rose, unsteady, to her paws, her pelt trembling. “I can't,” she breathed. “Not yet. My kits still need me.” _I'm not ready._

     Rock regarded the queen with a weary air. “It's your choice,” he mewed quietly. “I can't force you to do anything before you're ready. But the longer you wait, the greater the risk that Shade will claim a body and kill me before you can stop her.”

     Silentstorm ducked her head. She knew that Rock was right. But she couldn't just leave her family this way. Not after what happened with RiverClan all of those moons ago. If she had to leave them, she was going to tell them first, even if she couldn't tell them why, even if she had to tell them in a way that wouldn't make them want to stop her. _I won't leave you like that again, Blazeheart,_ she thought. _And I could never leave you like that, my daughters._

     She said nothing in reply. After a few moments, Rock looked away with a sigh. “Maybe you're right to wait, after all,” he mused wearily. “Perhaps if I claimed a form now, Shade would just decide to wait me out, until my new form was as old and weak as this one. She has all of eternity to wait if she pleases.”

     His tone grew more serious as he added, “But we can't afford to wait forever. Whatever choice you make, you'll have to make it soon, Silentstorm.”

**SCENEBREAK**

      _“You'll have to make it soon.”_ The words echoed in Silentstorm's ears as she returned to camp. She snuck back into the nursery, settling onto her nest and curling herself around her sleeping kits. Jaykit and Screechkit hadn't woken when she'd left the nursery, and their gentle snoring comforted her as she tried to stop her trembling. Only once she'd pulled her kits close to her, assuring herself that they were safe for the night, did the queen finally drift off to sleep.

     The queen soon found herself in a familiar forest, with soft grass under her paws and the scent of starlight and ice all around her, the breeze warm and comforting. She breathed it in, taking comfort in the familiar scent, even as worry hung heavy in her heart.

     “Silentstorm.”

     Soft pawsteps came from behind her, after the familiar sounded. Silentstorm sighed, turning to meet the cat who had spoken. “Hello, Hollyleaf,” she murmured as she brushed muzzles with the StarClan warrior. “It's good to see you again.”

     Hollyleaf had begun to visit Silentstorm in her dreams not long after she became a warrior. It had been Hollyleaf who had told Silentstorm about the prophecy, and had done her best to guide her when she was trying to learn the prophecy's meaning. But when the Clans had been forced to hide in the city, Hollyleaf had been unable to speak with Silentstorm, as StarClan couldn't reach the Clans while they were in the large twolegplace. Silentstorm hadn't really spoken with the StarClan warrior since the terrible fire that had claimed ThunderClan's home.

     Hollyleaf was silent for a few moments. “You've been avoiding me,” she finally said, an odd note in her mew. “Jayfeather too. He misses you.”

     Silentstorm sighed. Hollyleaf was right. The spirits of her father's littermates had tried to speak with her a few times over the last two moons, but every time they appeared in her dreams, she had turned away, or asked them to let her rest for the night. As much as she missed Jayfeather with all of her heart, she knew how horrified he would be if he knew the truth about the prophecy. And just like her living family, she knew that he would try to find a way to stop her, or confront Rock or Shade himself. She didn't want to lay that burden on his shoulders too, not when there wasn't anything he could do about it.

     At first, she had tried to shut Hollyleaf out as well. But tonight, after having to lie to and turn away from her closest friends, and learning how close the battle was, Silentstorm felt exhausted. Just this once, she wanted to be able to unburden herself to another cat and not have to carry the weight of her choice alone. And she knew that Hollyleaf, no matter how horrified she was by the truth, would do her best to help guide Silentstorm.

     “I'm sorry,” she murmured. “I miss him too, and I've missed you. I just had a lot to figure out, and I didn't want... well, I didn't want you to worry.”

     Hollyleaf was silent for a moment. “You learned something while you were in the city, didn't you?” she finally murmured. “Something about the prophecy?”

     Silentstorm sighed, hanging her head. “I've learned _everything,_ ” she admitted.

     And, finally, she began to tell another cat the truth about the prophecy.

     Hollyleaf listened, unreadable in her silence, as Silentstorm explained it all. How Shade and Rock had been the Spirits of Light and Darkness. How Shade had tried to take more power than she deserved, and how Rock had stopped her. The great battle that had ended with Shade trapped in the Dark Foerst, and with both spirits too weak to take any form other than mist. Hawthorn's sacrifice. The history of the lake cats who had journeyed to the mountains, then to the forest, forming the Clans. And finally, what Silentstorm herself had to sacrifice in order to defeat Shade and fulfill the prophecy.

     When Silentstorm had finally finished her story, Hollyleaf was silent for several moments. Silentstorm sat with her head held low, her tail twitching anxiously as she wondered how the StarClan warrior would react. Then, to her surprise, a muzzle was being pressed against her cheek, a tongue rasping soothingly over the top of her head. Silentstorm stiffened in her surprise. “I'm so sorry, Silentstorm,” Hollyleaf mewed quietly, her mew soft with sympathy. “No cat should have to carry the burden that lays on your shoulders.”

     As her surprise faded, Silentstorm leaned into Hollyleaf's touch, drawing comfort from her kin's closeness. She could feel her pelt beginning to tremble again. For over two moons now, she had carried the weight of saving all of life from the darkness on her own. But now, there was finally a cat who could understand what Silentstorm was dealing with.

     “I'm so scared, Hollyleaf,” Silentstorm admitted. It felt good to finally say the words aloud. “I know the choice that I have to make. I'm willing to make it. But I'm scared. I know what's at stake if I lose. And I'm scared to leave my kits.” She lifted her muzzle mewing, “My friends brought me to meet them tonight. They're worried about me; all they want to do is help. But they can't help me, and if they knew the truth, they would only worry. But now they know I'm lying to them.”

     Hollyleaf touched her nose to Silentstorm's ear. “They're worried because they care about you, Silentstorm,” the StarClan warrior reminded her. “This is your choice to make, Silentstorm. It's up to you whether you tell any cat. But I don't blame you for wanting to keep it to yourself. It's not like Jayfeather and Lionblaze ever told any cat about the prophecy – not until Firestar made them, anyway.”

     The StarClan warrior pulled her muzzle back, her mew softer as she added, “I'm glad you decided to tell me. I can't help you in this battle any more than your living friends, but I can still guide you. You don't have to go through this alone. If you ever need to talk, or have something to ask, I'm here.” She paused before adding, “Jayfeather would be too, if you talked to him.”

     Silentstorm felt another stab of guilt. “I know he would,” she murmured. “But I know how much he worries. I don't want to make him worry even more about me, when what really matters is defeating Shade.” She rose to her paws, mewing, “I'll do what I have to do. But I'm not going to let other cats get hurt trying to stop me.”

     Hollyleaf sighed. “It's your choice, Silentstorm,” she told the queen.

     A breeze began to blow around the queen. Silentstorm could feel the forest starting to fade under her paws again, as she was pulled away to other dreams. The last thing she heard before the forest of StarClan disappeared entirely was Hollyleaf's murmur. “I will do anything I can to help you, Silentstorm, and I will always be with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, so much for having to wait. :P I wrote the majority of this last night at midnight, and the rest of it tonight. ^^
> 
> So yeah, now we get to see Silentstorm's thought process after leaving her friends behind on the Gathering island, and she seeks more advice from Rock and from Hollyleaf. And Silentstorm learns that Scorch is alive. ^^ I was going to keep it secret longer, originally, but I realized it would work better for reasons I won't get into now if Silentstorm learned earlier that she was alive.
> 
> The scene with Silentstorm finally telling Hollyleaf about the prophecy was the scene that was supposed to be in chapter two, by the by. But that chapter ended up being more about Silentstorm's life in the nursery, and her relationship with Lightfoot, and i didn't think I could fit a conversation with Hollyleaf in as well. But it fit well enough in this chapter, and I think it even works better here in terms of having her confide in Hollyleaf after being unable to confide in her friends. So that worked out well. ^^
> 
> I will try to have the next chapter up soon, but no promises, since I have finals coming up. We're going to have a bit of a time skip in the next chapter. Also, any of you who have not seen Moana need to go see Moana. It's so good. Totally unrelated to EOTW, but it's so good. :D I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop *ba dum tss* ever since I saw the movie. ^^


	9. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun begins to set over the pine forest

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Seven

     Hues of pink and amber painted the sky as the sun set over the pine forest. Golden light spilled onto the snowy forest, casting long shadows over the camp as the warriors started to settle in for the night. Cats were strewn all around the snowy clearing, picking at the few available pieces of prey. Two she-cats laying near a bramble thicket were sharing a scrawny frog. Both of their bellies were swollen with kits, and their pelts brushed together as the gray she-cat leaned against the side of the tortoiseshell.

     The tortoiseshell purred as the gray queen pressed her muzzle against the tortoiseshell's neck. With a small purr, the tortoiseshell rasped her tongue over the gray queen's spiky- furred head. Her good mood faded as she pulled away and glanced at their meal. The frog was pitifully small, hardly enough to feed a kit, and it was all she and her mate would have to share between them tonight. Desperate hunger clawed at her belly, and she could see from the dull gleam in her mate's eyes that she felt the same.

     A sigh escaped the queen as she looked away from the frog, her amber gaze sweeping across the camp. She could see that her Clanmates were suffering even more than the queens, who were always fed first. Tigerstar and Olivenose were some of the skinniest cats in the Clan now; the queen could see Aspenlily trying to convince them to eat a shrew, but the queen knew that the leader and deputy would never take prey while their Clanmates were going hungry. Marshcloud, Stripedclaw, and Smokeflight were sharing a scrawny robin, while Foxfoot and Graytail were pushing Ratscar to eat a mouse. Buffy had been sitting with some of the warriors, but after a few moments, rose determinedly to her paws. She approached some of her Clanmates, speaking in a low mew, before they rose to standing and followed the former kittypet out of camp. “We're going to try and find more prey,” Buffy called briskly to Tigerstar and Olivenose as she and her patrol padded out of camp. Tigerstar just dipped his head wearily in consent.

     The tortoiseshell sighed, drawing the gray queen's attention. “Are you alright, Specklefoot?” Dewfrost asked, touching her nose to the tortoiseshell's cheek.

     Specklefoot closed her eyes, leaning into her mate's touch. “I'm fine,” she murmured. “Just thinking.” She opened her eyes again, letting her gaze sweep over the camp. “Everyone seems so tired these days. It seems like cats barely have the energy to go on their patrols, and by the end of the day they're dead on their paws.”

     The queen's ice-blue gaze glowed with worry. “Cats don't have as much energy when they're not getting enough to eat,” she agreed, following Specklefoot's gaze as she looked out at their Clanmates. “It just makes hunting all the harder.”

     Specklefoot sighed. “It seems like at every turn, leafbare is making life harder.”

     Dewfrost made a small noise of agreement. After a moment, she pressed her muzzle against Specklefoot's neck, mewing quietly, “But we've made it through leafbares before. We'll make it through this one too. What matters is that our Clan has our home back, and we don't have to spend leafbare in the city.”

     Even as worry continued to pick at her heart, Specklefoot laid her cheek against her mate's head, purring. “And we'll have our kits,” she added softly.

     Dewfrost purred her agreement, her tail brushing against Specklefoot's flank. The she-cats had been mates ever since the flood that had separated them for a time, when Dewfrost had sheltered with ThunderClan. After being mates for over one greenleaf, the she-cats had decided they were ready to start a family. Specklefoot glanced at Dewfrost's belly, round with kits, and then at her own, just as rounded. Their kits were sure to be born within days of each other, and in only a few short days, the queens would be able to raise their family in the safety and comfort of the nursery together.

     “I can't wait to meet them,” Specklefoot murmured, a wave of fierce love sweeping over her. Dewfrost purred her agreement. Warmth spread through the tortoiseshell as she gazed at her mate. She reached out her muzzle, grasping some of the spiky fur on Defrost's neck gently between her teeth, playing with the haphazard way the fur sat on her neck. Dewfrost gave an affectoinate purr, and began grooming her mate as well, the queens sharing tongues as the sun continued to set on the forest.

     The moment of peace was broken all too soon by the sound of pawsteps behind them. The queens turned to see a fluffy she-cat padding out of the nursery. “I finished putitng down fresh moss for your nests,” Shilo told the queens. “I added a few feathers from that robin Pinenose caught earlier, too.”

     “Thank you, Shilo,” Dewfrost mewed warmly. She reached out her muzzle as the young warrior approached, touching noses with her former apprentice. “You didn't have to do that, you know. There's plenty of apprentices to clean out dens.”

     Shilo gave a dismissive flick of her tail. “I can't do something nice for my old mentor?” she sniffed. Her tone grew brisk as she added, “I wouldn't stay out too long if I were you – it looks like it's going to get cold out tonight.” Her gaze flicked to the half-eaten frog at their paws as she added, “And you should finish that.”

     Amusement sparked in Dewfrost's gaze. “Think you can boss me around now that I'm not your menor anymore, do you?” she mewed dryly. Specklefoot held back a purr of amusement. Shilo was definitely the most similar to Buffy of her littermates, with the same brisk sense of authority, and the same fierce courage and loyalty.

     The young warrior snorted in reply. “Just pointing out the obvious.” With a final flick of her tail, she padded away, approaching Birdstep and Nightmoss where they sat. Specklefoot felt a brush of concern when she saw the warrior's skinny frame. Shilo's long fur hid her bony frame most of the time, but even with all of that fluff in the way, Specklefoot could tell she was as ill-fed as the rest of the Clan.

     “Well, we might as well do what she said.” Dewfrost's amused mew drew Specklefoot out of her thoughts. “We can finish the frog from our nests.” Specklefoot mewed her agreement. She scooped up the frog in her jaws, following her mate as Dewfrost led her inside of the den.

     Smokeflight was lying in her nest when they enetered the den, Applekit and Spiderkit sharing a mouse by her side, while Pinekit batted at a moss ball. Minktail was napping in her nest while her three kits were playfighting nearby. Specklefoot and Dewfrost mewed greetings as they entered the den, crossing over to their own nests, which lay side by side on the dusty nursery floor. They settled onto the moss-and-feather nests, pressed pelt to pelt as they continued to dig into the frog. It was gone far too quickly, and once they'd finished eating and cleaning out, Specklefoot's belly was still tight with hunger.

     As they were settling back into their nests, Smokeflight glanced at Minktail, amusement flicking in her gaze as her denmate snored. “She helped out with patrols earlier today,” she explained to Specklefoot and Dewfrost. “There weren't enough hunters to go out this morning.” The dark cream queen rose to her paws, stretching out her limbs. “I think I'll go get something to eat,” she mewed. Her own kits bounced to their paws, and the queen called out to Minktail's three kits, who looked up form their game. “Come on, you three, you can play with my kits outside of the nursery while I eat,” she mewed. “We'll let your mother rest for a bit.”

     The cream queen led her own kits, and Minktail's three kits, out of the nursery, leaving Specklefoot and Dewfrost alone with the sleeping Minktail. The den was suddenly a lot quieter with the kits gone. Specklefoot pressed against Dewfrost's side, feeling her worried thoughts creeping back in now that there wasn't anything to distract her. Dark thoughts swam through her mind, 

     Dewfrost glanced at her mate. “Are you sure you're alright?” she murmured, ice-blue eyes glowing in the dark of the den. Specklefoot just nodded quietly, leaning her head against Dewfrost's neck.

     “Are you worrying about ThunderClan?” Specklefoot pulled back, blinking at her mate in surprise. Dewfrost was giving her a look that was knowing, but not judging. “I've noticed you asking the patrols about their border, and I know you check the border on your walks sometimes.”

     Specklefoot hesitated, tail sweeping uncertainly behind her. As much as she trusted Dewfrost, there were secrets that were not hers to share. “I am,” she finally mewed, deciding to tell the safer part of the truth. “They were hit hard by the fire, and from what I heard at the Gathering, the forest still hasn't recovered. Our own Clan is having a hard enough time feeing itself this leafbare. I can't imagine how much harder it is for ThunderClan.”

     Dewfrost made a small noise of agreement. “And on top of all of it, the Clans have to deal with the Dark Forest,” she murmured. Specklefoot nodded stiffly. Dark Forest scents had been found in ShadowClan tertitory a few times since the Gathering, and they had been seen by patrols. “I've been wondering about the other Clans myself.”

     “You have?” Specklefoot looked at her mate in surprise. She hadn't ever thought of her mate as being particularly close to cats from other Clans.

     The gray queen nodded. “I don't have close friends like you do,” she mewed. “But after living with the other Clans for over five moons, it's impossible not to care. I wonder about how Crouchfoot and Honeyheart are doing, how Mossypaw and Rosepaw are advancing in theit training, whether Jaykit and Screechkit are getting enough to eat.” Her gaze was soft with sympathy when she added, “I don't think I'm the only one who worries about those kits. Or their mother.”

     Specklefoot sighed. Dewfrost was one of the few cats who knew how close Specklefoot's friendship was with Darkbreeze, Eeltooth, and Silentstorm. She was one of the only cats that Specklefoot trusted to understand that her friendships outside of the Clan didn't compromise her loyalty to ShadowClan. But as much as Specklefoot loved and trusted her mate, there was so much about Siletnstorm that she couldn't tell her. “She has young kits in the middle of leafbare,” was all she said. “I worry about whether they'll survive the cold season.”

     In truth, Specklefoot was worried about so much more than that. It had been ten days since she and Silentstorm's other friends had met in secret with the ThunderClan queen on the Gathering island. Ever since then, Specklefoot had tried to keep updated about any Dark Forest sightings, to try and figure out what their plans might be. But beyond stealing prey, she couldn't guess what their plan was. Dark Forest cats had been seen by patrols a few times now, but every time a patrol approached them, even if the patrol was outnumbered, the Dark Forest cats ran without a fight. The most she could guess was that the Dark Forest was trying to weaken the Clans through theft of their prey in preparation for some kind of attack. While it seemed like a logical conclusion, that didn't help her figure out when or where they would make their attack. And if their plan was to starve the Clans into weakness before making their attack, Specklefoot wasn't sure if there was any way to stop them.

     But it wasn't just the Dark Forest that had her worried. Specklefoot had never seen Silentstorm act the way she had at their meeting. She had tried to be tough in front of her friends, but her anger at them, already unusual enough, had clearly been a mask for her fear. It had been chilling to see the look of haunted fear in Silentstorm's eyes. Specklefoot had never seen her bold, stubborn friend so afraid before, and it had completely changed her perspective on the prophecy. It was clear now that Silentstorm knew more about the prophecy than she was letting on. If she knew the nature of the darkness she had to face, and it had her that terrified, then it had to be much worse than anything Specklefoot could have guessed.

      _Dark times are coming. Only blind loyalty and silent sacrifice will save the Clans._ The darkness that the prophecy referred to had to be the Dark Forest. They had been appearing in the living forest since the end of last leafbare, and they seemed to be taking a new tactic in weaking the Clans. But how was Silentstorm meant to defeat them? Did she have to fight them? It was mousebrained to imagine that one cat on their own could fight and defeat the entire Dark Forest. And even if that was the case, why would Silentstorm insist that there was nothing her friends could do to help her? Specklefoot knew that there had to be something more to this that she wasn't seeing, some unknown answer that made Silentstorm so sure that she had to face this danger alone.

     It had been a shock to discover that Silentstorm had been hiding so much about the prophecy from them. Specklefoot had never thought of Silentstorm as a particularly secretivie cat. Silentstorm had always been bold and unashamed to share her opinion. Specklefoot had started out being perplexed by, and suspicious of, the stubborn apprentice that had defied her leader and the warrior code to help an enemy Clan. But after Silentstorm had helped her save her Clan from Shrew, Specklefoot had come to appreciate her brashness and curioisty, and her refusal to let Clan boundaries stop her from doing what she thought was right. To see her suddenly keeping so many secrets about the prophecy was unusual enough for Silentstorm's character to make Specklefoot very, very worried. What could be so horrible that it kept Silentstorm from turning to her friends for help? Specklefoot was more afraid for her friend, and for her Clan, than she had ever been before.

     “Specklefoot?” The tortoiseshell started, jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of her mate's voice. Dewfrost was gazing at Specklefoot, her eyes glowing with concern.

     The queen gave a quick shake of her head. “Sorry,” she mewed. “Just lost in thought.” She leaned against her mate, drawing warmth from the queen's pelt.

     Dewfrost gave a small nod of understanding. “You've seemed very quiet lately,” she mewed quietly. “I know there's been a lot to worry about.” She let Specklefoot lean her cheek against her neck, resting her chin over the tortoiseshell's head. “I just hope things get easier soon.” Specklefoot made a small noise of agreement, snuggling her cheek against the spiky fur of her mate's neck.

     The conversation quickly turned to happier subjects, with the queens discussing how Smokeflight's kits would be apprentices soon, how Nightmoss seemed to be spending a lot of time with Birdstep lately, when their kits would finally arrive. But Specklefoot's dark thoughts remained with her even as she chatted with her mate. Minktail eventually awoke, and Smokeflight returned to the den with all of the kits in tow. They were all settling in for the night when Stripedclaw padded into the den, greeting his mate and kits with a purr. The tom had left with Buffy on her hunting patrol before Specklefoot and Dewfrost had retreated into the nursery. Judging by the grim expression he wore as he greeted Minktail, their hunt had been unsuccessful.

     “I beat Applekit at Mossball today!” Duskkit boasted to her father, puffing her chest out proudly. The dark tabby kit looked like a reflection of her father, and of Tigerstar and Bramblestar. Specklefoot could imagine that she would grow to be just as powerful a warrior as them someday.

     Stripedclaw gave a proud purr. “Well done,” he rumbled. He opened his jaws to speak again, only to be broken off by a cough. Specklefoot flicked her ears forward, surprised as the warrior hunched over with the force of his cough.

     “Stripedclaw?” Minktail rose quickly to her paws, sniffing her mate's pelt. “Are you alright?”

     The tabby waved off his mate's concern. “I'm fine,” he insisted. “I just have a tickle in my throat, that's all.” But Specklefoot could see that his eyes and nose were streaming a little, and his voice sounded a little raspy.

     Worry began to creep through Specklefoot's pelt. She had noticed Pepperpelt coughing earlier as well, and Pinenose's gaze had been a bit dull, but she hadn't thought much of it. Now that Stripedclaw seemed to be getting sick, however, she began to wonder whether there wasn't something spreading through the Clan. _Oh StarClan, that's the last thing we need!_ she thought desperately.

     After a bit, Stripedclaw was able to wave off his mate's concerns, and his kits continued to tell him about their day. Specklefoot tried to push back her worried thoughts, hoping she had been wrong. _Maybe it's just a cold,_ she thought, letting Dewfrost draw her into another conversation. But she couldn't stop the prickles of worry through her pelt, or the fear that clawed at her heart.

      _Oh StarClan, help us find some way to help Silentstorm fulfill the prophecy,_ she prayed. _In the state we're in, the Clans won't survive the darkness to come._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not totally happy with this chapter. I meant to show more of Dewfrost's personality, but I feel like I didn't get that across quite as much as I wanted. But I'm not sure how to fix it, and I don't want to delay posting it any longer, so eh.
> 
> We get to see Specklefoot's POV in this chapter. ^^ Now all of the cats in Silentstorm's main group of friends has a POV. ^^ And we have one more POV to introduce, sort of. It's not quite new, and it's not quite the last one, but I'll explain that better later, probably.
> 
> It's nice to see more of Specklefoot, I think. It's interesting to me how Silentstorm is the prophecy cat, and her friends listen to her plans and suggestions, but Specklefoot is sort of the best leader and most authoritative.
> 
> Anyway, we're about halfway through the moon at this point (yeah, bit of a time jump), and we'll still be there next chapter, which will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	10. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tortoiseshell practices against a tabby...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Eight

     “Again!”

     The tortoiseshell crouched low for a moment, before springing forward with a snarl. As the tabby turned to meet her, she slipped neatly to the side, raking her paw across his flanks. He whirled on her, ready to snap his jaws down on her tail, but she whisked it away as his fangs snapped down on air. The tortoiseshell ducked down, grabbed the tom's far hind paw in her jaws, and jerked it towards her, under his belly. The tom stumbled, unbalanced, allowing the tortoiseshell to twist around to push her paws against his flanks, sending him crashing to the ground. In a matter of moments, the tortoiseshell had the tabby pinned to the ground.

     After a brief struggle, the tom fell still. “Good job, Duskpaw!” The tortoiseshell stepped back with a purr, letting the tabby struggle back to his paws. “You were much faster at unbalancing me that time. Next time, try to keep your tail tucked, to give me less to hold on to.”

     Duskpaw dipped her head, giving a proud purr. “Thanks, Blazeheart,” she mewed brightly. She gave a quick lash of her tail, eyes sparking with amusement. “I bet next time, I can get you pinned before you even have a chance to grab my tail!”

     “Good luck with that,” Blazeheart snorted. As hard as it was to keep up with his energetic apprentice at times, it was nice to have an apprentice so eager about her training.

     Blazeheart had been training Duskpaw for over three moons now, and she was advancing well in her training. Her energetic nature made it harder for her to focus and be patient when it came to hunting, but under Blazeheart's expert instruction, she was getting much better at it. But it was at fighting where the tortoiseshell really excelled. Like her mentor, Duskpaw was nimble and light on her paws, and had been quick to learn how to swiftly dodge in and out to make her attacks. Blazeheart was proud of just how far she'd come in her training, and he took her training very seriously, dedicating much of his time to training sessions and patrols. Even if Duskpaw could be a bit of a pain in the tail with all of her cheekiness and her energy, he had grown fond of the little tortoiseshell.

     They continued training through the rest of the morning, until the sun had climbed to its highest point in the sky. After battle training was done, they decided to try to get a little hunting done. As they padded through the snowy forest, Duskpaw purred, “I can't wait to show Dewpaw that move at the next Gathering. She always says that Hurricane shows her the coolest battle moves, but this time I've got her beat!”

     The tabby cast a wary glance at the young she-cat. Duskpaw had grown up in a world where all four Clans had lived together as one. It had to be strange not only to be living separate from the other Clans, but to have her littermate in an enemy Clan. “Just remember, you can't give away all of ThunderClan's secrets to cats in other Clans,” he reminded his apprentice gently.

     Duskpaw snorted. “After how many moons we spent training together, I don't think there's a secret left between the Clans,” she pointed out.

     “Even so, the Clans are separate now,” Blazeheart told her. “One day, we might have to fight RiverClan.”

     The tortoiseshell gave her mentor an impatient glance. “But things are different now,” she insisted. “The Clans were living together for so long, we're like family now. Do you really think that everything's just going to go back to the way that it was? That seems mousebrained!”

      _No, I don't,_ Blazeheart thought, remembering how cats from different Clans had acted like kin at the last Gathering. _And it worries me._ “I don't know,” he admitted. “But we're ThunderClan cats. We have to put our Clan first.”

     Duskpaw rolled her eyes. “All of the warriors always go on about Clan loyalty and putting the Clan first,” she mewed, “but it seems to me that the Clans are always strongest when they stand together. We survived the Great Journey together, the BloodClan battle, the Dark Battle, and the Code's Battle. Why waste our time fighting each other when we can help each other against our enemies?”

     Blazeheart sighed. He had good friends in the other Clans too now, and after so many moons of living in close quarters with them, thinking about fighting them felt wrong. But he knew that the only way the Clans worked was if they stood apart. There had to be a balance. “I'm not saying we should fight over just anything,” he mewed. “But if we let ourselves get too close to cats from the other Clans how can we bring ourselves to fight them if our Clans come to battle? That's why a warrior always has to put their Clan first.” His thoughts shifted to his sister as he added, “You can have friends in the other Clans, of course. But your own Clan has to come before those friendships. The Clans have to stay separate.”

     “Whatever,” Duskpaw mewed, sounding unimpressed. “I think that's all a bunch of fluff. The Clans have been living together for moons – that doesn't just go away.” Before Blazeheart could rebuke her for her tone, her ears flew forward, and she bounded away, calling, “I think I can hear a lapwing!”

     The tabby held back another sigh. _Great. I'm training an even more energetic version of my sister._ For all of his worries as a young cat about his sister's friendships, he knew now that Silentstorm knew how to balance her loyalty to her Clan to her loyalty to her friends. _And she's going to need her friends for what's to come,_ a voice in his mind added darkly. But the closeness between Clan and Clan was something different, and far more worrying to the warrior.

     It didn't take long for Duskpaw to return, with no lapwing in sight. “It got away,” she mewed, her tail lashing in frustration.

     “That's alright,” Blazeheart mewed. He knew that her mistakes in hunting were one of the few things that Duskpaw was insecure about. “There's still plenty of time to find something before we have to get back to camp.”

     The apprentice nodded. “Hopefully we can find something, with the Dark Forest stealing our prey,” she mewed. She glanced curiously at Blazeheart, asking, “Do you think there'll be another Dark Battle soon? Stormpaw, Graypaw and I were talking about it with Dewpaw at the last Gathering, and we all think they'll attack us at some point.”

     Blazeheart stiffened, fear prickling down his spine. “I don't know,” he mewed quietly. “It's possible. But for now, it seems like they don't want to pick a fight.” Ever since the Gathering, Dark Forest cats had been seen several times on ThunderClan territory, usually with prey. But whenever they were approached by a patrol, even if the Clan cats were outnumbered, the Dark Forest cats fled without a fight. He couldn't understand it. What were they up to?

     “For now,” Duskpaw growled. “But I doubt maggots like that stay down for long. They're probably just waiting until we're weak enough to strike.”

     The tabby sighed. “It's possible,” he admitted. “All we can do is train hard to be ready for any battle, and try to keep the Clan strong until it comes, if it comes.”

     But privately, he was far more worried than he let on. He knew better than most cats the danger that lay ahead. His sister's prophecy still wasn't fulfilled, and whatever it referred to, it clearly had Silentstorm terrified. He had never seen her as scared as she had been on the island, when he and her friends had confronted her with the prophecy.

     Eleven days after their secret meeting on the island, and Blazeheart was still in shock about what had happened. Not only had Silentstorm known more about the prophecy than she'd been letting on, but even after her friends had promised to fight beside her no matter what, she had still refused to tell them the truth. It was clear that his sister was terrified by whatever knowledge she held, and whatever it was, she seemed to think that there was no way her friends could help her. That probably had Blazeheart more scared than anything. What could be so terrible and so dangerous that Silentstorm thought there was no way any other cat could help her?

     Part of Blazeheart felt resentment growing against his sister. After Silentstorm had apologized about leaving to help RiverClan, she and Blazeheart had been as close as ever. Blazeheart had thought that had been the end of the secrets between them. But now, it turned out that Silentstorm was keeping something from him that would determine the fate of the Clans. It hurt to think that Silentstorm didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth about this prophecy. After everything they'd gone through together, after Silentstorm's promises that she trusted him and wouldn't abandon him and the Clan again... had she really meant any of it? How could she say all of that, and keep a secret this huge from him? Didn't she trust that he would do anything he could to help her?

     But even though the old resentment pricked at his heart, Blazeheart knew this was more complicated than her running off to help RiverClan. Whatever the answer to the prophecy was, it claimed that Silentstorm was the one who had to defeat the darkness. That had to be a massive burden for his sister to live with. And in the end, this affected Silentstorm's life first and foremost, more than Blazeheart or any of her friends. The danger affected all of the Clans, but the burden of the prophecy rested solely on his sister. Despite his grudge against Silentstorm for hiding secrets, Blazeheart could understand why she would want to keep such a massive burden to herself, if she honestly thought there was no way for her friends and family to help her.

     He could only hope that he was wrong, and that she would eventually trust her friends and family to fight beside her, no matter what.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Blazeheart and Duskpaw managed to hunt down a half-frozen shrew before returning to camp. Duskpaw gripped the shrew tightly between her jaws, pride and frustration mixing in her gaze. Blazeheart knew that she had wanted to bring more back for the Clan, but at least she'd caught something this time, which was more than he could say for himself. Even last leafbare, he had _never_ known prey to be this scarce.

     Blazeheart felt a pang of fear as he and his apprentice passed through the bramble entrance into camp. Every cat in camp looked gaunt and bone-thin, their eyes glazed over with weariness and hunger. It wasn't quite sundown yet, but cats were already sitting and lying around, too weary to keep busy. A chill ran through Blazeheart's pelt as he realized how badly his Clanmates were starving. _How are these half-starved cats supposed to make it through leafbare, let alone a fight with the Dark Forest?_ Blazeheart thought mournfully.

     Mentor and apprentice headed for the fresh-kill pile, passing some of the warriors as they did. Blazeheart could hear Rosepetal chatting with Molefoot and Toadstep as they passed them, but his attention was caught when Rosepetal's words were broken off by hoarse coughing. He glanced over to see the dark cream she-cat hunched over, Toadstep and Molefoot exclaiming in alarm as Rosepetal hacked and coughed. Pelt bristling in alarm, Blazeheart approached the warriors, Duskpaw just behind him.

     “Are you feeling okay?” Blazeheart asked Rosepetal, mew tinged with worry. While he wasn't as close with Rosepetal, who could be a bit prickly, as some of his Clanmates, it was still alarming to hear how badly she was coughing.

     The cream warrior shook her head, waiting for the coughs to subside before giving a sharp, “I'm fine!” in response.

     “You're not fine,” Molefoot mewed firmly. He sniffed his mate's pelt, his amber gaze glowing with worry. “You've been coughing since we went hunting this morning.”

     Toadstep nodded firmly. “You should really see Leafpool and Finchwing,” he insisted. “Now that there's greencough in camp, you can't take too many chances.”

     “Greencough?” Duskpaw mewed, sounding alarmed. Blazeheart felt his pelt fluffing out in shock. The last he'd heard, a few cat had gone to Leafpool and Finchwing with whitecough, but he hadn't heard anything about any cats coming down with greencough.

     The black-and-white tom nodded grimly. “Millie's whitecough turned into greencough,” he told Blazeheart and Duskpaw quietly. “Leafpool and Finchwing have moved her into the medicine den to treat her, but there's more cats with whitecough now; Lilyfrost and Ripplewing.

     Blazeheart exchanged an alarmed glance with Duskpaw. Even though last leafbare had made hunting harder, they'd been lucky enough to avoid any serious illness. But now that there was greencough in the camp, every cat was in danger. They lived in such close quarters that it would be all too easy for the sickness to spread from cat to cat. A sudden fear seized Blazeheart as he thought of his daughter, too young and thin to fight off any great sickness.

     “Drop your prey off at the pile,” he ordered Duskpaw sharply, his paws already moving to carry him away. He barely heard his apprentice's mew of assent before he was bounding towards the nursery, his heart racing in panic. He pushed haphazardly through the bramble entrance of the den, his wide green gaze flying around the den until finally settling on the tiny gray queen. “Ambertalon? Wrenkit? Are you alright?”

     Ambertalon was standing near her nest, a feather in her jaws, which she was dangling over Wrenkit's head. The gray-brown kit was leaping and lunging, growling playfully as she tried to wrest the feather from her mother's grasp. Ambertalon was growling in kind, her gaze sparking with mischief as she held the feather over her daughter's head. Both she-cats looked up at Blazeheart as he entered the den. Wrenkit gave a joyful mew, bounding over to her father with a purr, while Ambertalon trotted behind her more slowly. “We're fine,” she mewed, sounding surprised. Seedlight was lying in her nest, watching the couple with bemusement, and Lightningstrike was talking with her kits, but Silentstorm and her kits were nowhere to be seen. Silentstorm had said something earlier about taking her kits to visit the elders; he assumed that was where they were.

     Blazeheart crouched as his daughter approached him, sniffing her pelt all over for any sign of sickness. He felt shaky with relief when he found none. “Thank StarClan,” he breathed.

     He stood as Ambertalon padded up to him, her amber eyes glowing with concern. “Blazeheart, what's wrong?” she asked, her tone serious. “What's got you so worried?”

     The tabby glanced at Wrenkit, mewing, “Why don't you go play with Mousekit and Oatkit?” Wrenkit looked at her father, puzzled for a moment, before trotting off toward Lightningstrike and her kits. Blazeheart waited before she was out of earshot before telling Ambertalon in a low mew, “Millie has greencough.”

     “I heard,” Ambertalon told her mate evenly, though sympathy glowed in her gaze. “I paid her a visit earlier. But I washed thoroughly, and I've been keeping Wrenkit away from the medicine den.”

     Blazeheart sighed. He could still feel his pelt trembling with the fear of his daughter falling ill. Ambertalon came to stand beside him, letting her mate lean his weight against her. “She's just so young, and small,” he murmured, feeling his tail trembling. “If she got sick...”

     “I know,” Ambertalon mewed. Her tone was calm, but Blazeheart could hear the fear underneath. “We'll have to be careful with what we bring into the nursery, and we'll keep her away from the medicine den.” She met her mate's gaze, telling him quietly, “Wrenkit is a smart kit. She knows how to be careful, if we tell her to stay away from any cat that's sick. We'll just have to hope that Leafpool and Finchwing can heal this greencough before it spreads too far.”

     Blazeheart nodded, but inside, he still felt his gut twisting in fear. He could imagine all too easily Wrenkit being overwhelmed by greencough, until she was too weak to fight it anymore. The tom closed his eyes, feeling a tremor run through him. Between the threat from the Dark Forest, Silentstorm's prophecy, the lack of prey to feed his Clan, and the danger of greencough, Blazeheart was starting to wonder if there was any hope of his Clan surviving the cold season.

      _Silentstorm, however you're meant to stop the darkness, I hope it happens soon,_ he thought, leaning against Ambertalon's shoulder. _I'll do whatever it takes to help you. But I can't protect my family from all of this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I finally got this chapter done. Sorry for the wait. I had finals to study for, and projects to get done. But the semester is finally over, finals are done, and I'm home for the holidays. :D I still have cleaning and shopping to do before Christmas, so I might not get a whole lot of writing done until Christmas is over, but hopefully I can get more done. I feel like next chapter won't be too hard to write. ;)
> 
> It's nice to be able to show more of Duskpaw's training. She's a fun character. ^^ And a bit of a handful for poor Blazeheart. And we learn that greencough is spreading through the Clan. Poor Millie, she already went through a really bad bout of greencough once. And now Blazeheart has even more to worry about.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silenstorm's POV, and will hopefully be posted soon. Out of curiosity, any predictions on kit names and descriptions for Seedlight, Darkbreeze, Specklefoot, and Dewfrost? It's always fun to see guesses. :)


	11. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wailing of a queen breaks the quiet of the early morning...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Nine

     “Come on, Seedlight, you can do it!”

     Silentstorm flattened her ears back against the terrible wailing that filled the walls of the nursery. Leafpool and Finchwing were standing over Seedlight, who was screeching and wailing with the effort of bringing her kits into the world. The blind queen was in her own nest, using her body to shield Jaykit and Screechkit from the birthing.

     Half a moon had passed since the last Gathering. Before the sun had even begun to rise, Seedlight had woken all of the queens with her wailing, crying out that her kits were coming. Now, as the morning drew on, Seedlight's kitting seemed to grow more and more agonizing.

     “You're doing great, Seedlight,” Leafpool mewed in a confident tone. “It feels like there's only one more kit. You're almost through this.” The medicine cat had a paw on Seedlight's side, stroking the queen's belly while she wailed her pain. Finchwing was looking over the kits that were already born, licking them and guiding them to Seedlight's belly while the queen was busy bringing the last kit into the world.

     Screechkit kept trying to clamber over Silentstorm to see what was going on, but the massive queen easily blocked the kit from bothering Seedlight or the medicine cats. All of the queens were in the nursery, as well as their kits, and the medicine cats, but no other cats were allowed inside. Silentstorm could hear Sparktail pacing outside of the den; he had tried to push his way into the den, but Finchwing had kept him from getting in, and now the terrified tom was waiting for the kitting to be over so he would be allowed in. All of the queens were keeping their kits in their nests. Mousekit was trying to catch a peek, like Screechkit, but Wrenkit was staying calmly by her mother's side, and Oatkit had fallen asleep.

     Jaykit was staying by her mother's shoulder, shrinking away from the sounds of the birthing. “Seedlight sounds like she's in a lot of pain,” she said in a small mew, her tail trembling a little.

     Silentstorm gave a comforting purr, reaching her muzzle down to lick her daughter's head. “Kitting is painful,” she admitted. “But it'll be over soon, and soon, she'll finally get to meet her kits.” Jaykit didn't respond, still seeming intimidated by the heart-rending wails of the queen. Silentstorm flicked her ears toward Seedlight, feeling a pang of worry. Seedlight's kitting had been unusually long already, and she seemed to be getting weaker. She hoped her denmate would be strong enough to make it through the end of her kitting.

     To her relief, Leafpool finally cried, “That's the last one!” Seedlight's wailing finally fell away, her head thumping against her nest in exhaustion. Screechkit strained forward, trying to see. Silentstorm heard Finchwing licking a kit dry, before guiding it to Seedlight's belly. “They all seem healthy, Seedlight. Well done.”

     “Congratulations, Seedlight!” Silentstorm called out warmly to her denmate. Seedlight was her mother's sister, though she was closer to Silentstorm's age than Cinderheart's, and Silentstorm had always counted her as a friend. “How many are there?”

     Seedlight was too exhausted to say anything, so Ambertalon replied instead. “There's four of them,” she told the blind queen. “I can see a ginger tom with a white tail-tip, a light brown-and-white tabby tom, and a pale, dusty brown tabby she-cat. I can't see the last one very well.”

     “It's a cream she-cat with a white chest,” Leafpool mewed warmly. “She has her father's spiky pelt.” Seedlight finally lifted her head, purring weakly as her kits nursed at her belly.

     Screechkit was squirming now, barely holding back her excitement. “Can we see them now, Silentstorm?” she begged.

     Silentstorm sighed. “Yes, but no touching, and don't bother Seedlight too much. She's been through a lot today.” Screechkit gave a quick mew of agreement, then scampered off, quickly joined by Mousekit and Wrenkit as they gazed at their new denmates. Jaykit still hung back by Silentstorm's shoulder. Silentstorm turned to her larger daughter, asking, “Don't you want to meet your denmates too?”

     Jaykit shuffled uncomfortably. “Maybe later,” she mumbled. “Too many cats around.”

     The queen felt a brush of worry. She knew how shy her kit could be, and she worried about whether Jaykit's shyness would hinder her relationship with her Clanmates. But after healing Seedlight wail her pain for so long, she couldn't necessarily blame Jaykit for being too frightened to go meet her kits. “That's alright,” she told Jaykit. “They'll still be there for you to meet later.”

     “Aw, they're so cute!” Screechkit mewed brightly, her tail curling in pleasure behind her.

     Wrenkit purred her agreement. “They look really sweet, Seedlight,” she mewed fondly. “What are you going to call them?”

     “I don't know yet,” Seedlight rasped. Silentstorm felt a flicker of unease run through her pelt. The queen's voice was unusually hoarse, even after having just kitted. “Sparktail and I will name them together.”

     “Speaking of Sparktail, are you ready for me to call him in?” Finchwing asked the queen.

     Seedlight gave a weak purr. “Of course,” she mewed, sweeping her tail across her kits. “I can't wait for him to meet our kits.”

     Finchwing dipped his head to the queen, then turned and trotted out of the den. All of the queens called their kits back to their nests, to keep them out of the way. A few moments later, Sparktail burst through the bramble entrance, practically tripping over his paws to get to Seedlight's side. Finchwing followed after him more slowly. “Is it over? Are you okay? Are the kits okay?” Sparktail's tail was bristling behind him, his tone full of panic.

     “I'm fine, love,” Seedlight purred. She lifted her muzzle weakly, Sparktail pressing his muzzle desperately to her cheek. “And so are our kits. All four of them.”

     “Four?” Sparktail exclaimed, clearly startled. He pulled back, finally looking at the four bundles that lay beside Seedlight's belly. The tom's breath caught. “Oh wow... Seedlight, they're wonderful! Great StarClan, four kits! And they're ours!” For once, the snarky, disagreeable tom seemed lost for words, stumbling over his own tongue in his awe.

     Seedlight gave a weak purr in reply. Sparktail seemed to finally come back to his senses, reaching his muzzle down to sniff his new kits. His mew was full of awe and love as he whispered, “Hello kits.” He glanced at Seedlight, mewing, “Are you ready to name them?”

     The queen nodded slowly. “I was thinking of Flowerkit for the ginger tom,” she mewed softly. “His fur feels soft as a flower's petals.”

     Sparktail purred quietly. “Flowerkit sounds perfect,” he mewed. He touched his nose briefly to Seedlight's ear, mewing softly, “He looks like you.” After a moment, he pulled back, glancing over the kits again. “How about Robinkit for the brown-and-white tom? His tail is sticking out behind him like a robin's.”

     “That sounds good,” Seedlight murmured. “The brown tabby is so small... how about Shrewkit?”

     “Perfect. And Willowkit for the cream she-cat,” Sparktail concluded. “For her wispy fur.”

     Seedlight nodded. She leaned her muzzle down, grasping Willowkit's spiky fur between her teeth, and giving a gentle, playful tug. “She looks the most like you, Sparktail,” she mewed warmly.

     Silentstorm turned away, leaving the new parents to coo over their kits in peace. She was busy grooming her own kits when Seedlight told Leafpool they were ready for family to visit. Not long after that, Molefoot, Lightfoot, Sorreltail, and Cinderheart padded into the nursery. Silentstorm felt a jolt of worry when she realized how few of Seedlight and Sparktail's family had come to meet the new kits. Rosepetal and Lilyfrost only had whitecough, but any cats who were so much as sniffling weren't being allowed anywhere near the nursery at the moment. They would have to wait until they were better before they could meet the new kits.

     “Oh Seedlight, they're beautiful,” Cinderheart purred as she touched noses with her younger sister. Seedlight purred weakly in response. “Have you named them yet?” Sorreltail pressed her muzzle against her daughter's cheek, purring like all of TigerClan.

     Seedlight nodded. “Flowerkit, Robinkit, Shrewkit, and Willowkit,” she informed her sister.

     “They look strong,” Molefoot rumbled, butting his muzzle against Sparktail's. “Congratulations, Sparktail.” Lightfoot mewed similar congratulations to his brother, his mew bright with joy. Even after living in the Clan for almost two leafbares, Lightfoot was still shy and quiet around most of his Clanmates. He only ever showed joy like this around the cats he loved and trusted most. Silentstorm could tell how much her mate already loved his brother's kits from his mew.

     Seedlight started to say something to Cinderheart, only for her mew to be broken off by a cough. Silentstorm froze, her pelt fluffing out in sudden fear. Sparktail spun away from his father and brother, instantly on alert. “Are you okay?” he demanded, sniffing Seedlight's pelt all over. “Oh StarClan, you're not getting sick, are you?”

     The pale tabby tried to wave off her mate's concerns. “I'm fine, Sparktail,” she insisted, though her mew sounded hoarse. “I just had kits, after all. I'm bound to sound a little out of sorts.”

     Sparktail didn't seem convinced, and Cinderheart was staring at her sister with narrowed eyes. “That doesn't sound good to me,” she mewed critically. She sniffed at Seedlight's pelt, even as Seedlight curled her lip in displeasure. “Why don't you let Leafpool and Finchwing look you over, just in case? With greencough in the camp, we have to be careful.”

     Seedlight tried to protest, only to be broken off by a bout of coughing. Sparktail pressed his pelt against her, supporting his mate as she coughed, fear in the bristling of his pelt. Once her coughing subsided, Seedlight seemed too weak to keep arguing. “Fine,” she murmured.

     As Leafpool and Finchwing moved in to check Seedlight over, Lightfoot broke away from his family, padding towards Silentstorm and their daughters. “We should probably give them some space,” he murmured.

     Lightningstrike was already herding her kits out of the den, mewing, “Let's go check on Sunnyflower. She was sniffling earlier, and she might like a mouse and some fresh moss for her nest.” Similarly, Ambertalon had scooped up Wrenkit in her jaws, carrying her towards the bramble entrance. Though Lightfoot's tone was light, Silentstorm could hear the fear underneath; he didn't want their daughters anywhere near the nursery if there was sickness there.

     She could feel the same fear, like cold claws in her gut. After a moment's thought, she mewed, “Jaykit, Screechkit, how about we go visit the elders for a little while? I'm sure Brightheart will tell you a good story if you ask nicely.”

     Screechkit perked up, mewing brightly, “Sounds great!” She seemed oblivious to the medicine cats and Seedlight's dilemma. Jaykit mewed agreement quietly as well, but her tail still trembled. Silentstorm tried to push back the feeling of fear in her gut as she scooped up Jaykit in her jaws, Lightfoot picking up Screechkit as they carried their kits out of the nursery.

     There were only two elders in the den when they entered. Spiderleg was lying in his nest, and Hazeltail was sitting up in hers, washing her legs. Both cats looked up as the couple entered with their kits. “I see we have visitors,” Spiderleg mewed, his tone unusually friendly. “How are Seedlight and her kits?”

     “They're fine,” Silentstorm mewed as she set her daughter down. “Seedlight has four healthy kits.” She hesitated for a moment, before revealing, “Seedlight was coughing a little. Leafpool and Finchwing are checking her over, so we left the nursery to give them some space.”

     Spiderleg and Hazeltail exchanged a worried glance. “I hope she isn't getting sick so soon after having kits,” Hazeltail mewed, sounding concerned. But after a glance at the kits, her expression softened. “Well, no sense in worrying about that now. I expect you two are here for a story?” After a moon of living in the elder's den, Hazeltail seemed happier than she had been in moons, more at peace now after all of the loss she'd suffered. She curled her tail around herself, eyes sparking with amusement as Screechkit and Jaykit trotted up to her.

     “Yes please!” Screechkit chirped.

     Spiderleg tipped his head thoughtfully for a few moments, before mewing gruffly, “Alright. I guess I can tell you the story of the time Shrewpaw and I accidentally hunted in a weasel's den.” Though his tone was gruff, Silentstorm could hear the fondness and amusement underneath. Spiderleg was the grumpiest elder in the nursery, and rarely had a good thing to say about any cat, but he clearly had a soft spot for Lightfoot's kits. They were his kin, after all, since he was the father of Lightfoot's mother. For all of his grumbling, he always had a story for them when they came around.

     The tom settled into his nest, tucking his paws under himself as he began his story. Silentstorm and Lightfoot settled by Hazeltail's nest, giving their kits space to listen to Spiderleg. As the kits listened to their kin, Hazeltail turned to the couple, her mew low with worry. “How sick is Seedlight?” she asked quietly.

     Lightfoot shrugged helplessly. “I don't know. She seemed pretty weak from kitting, and she was coughing when we left.”

     Hazeltail sighed. “I just hope it's less serious than greencough,” she murmured. “Finchwing told us earlier that their store of catmint is getting low, and that they didn't want to take too much from the garden by the twoleg nest, so there was enough left to grow for next leafbare. He even suggested they might have to ask the other Clans for supplies, if it got too bad.” She flicked her tail sadly as she added, “They're going to need more catmint to get us through this. Millie's been getting so weak, and she's not the only one. Brightheart has been moved into the medicine den with greencough, and I heard that Rosepetal's whitecough turned into greencough.”

     Lightfoot stiffened, a gasp escaping him. “What?” Silentstorm could feel his pelt bristling against hers. “I was out hunting this morning, I didn't hear anything about Rosepetal getting worse!”

     “Toadstep told us about it this morning,” Hazeltail mewed grimly. “If you want to visit her, I think she and some of the other sick cats are being kept in one of the unused caves near the medicine den.” She glanced back at Spiderleg, mewing, “We can watch out for the kits while you're gone.”

     Lightfoot hesitated, glancing back at their kits. Silentstorm nudged his side, murmuring, “They'll be safe with the elders. Let's go check on your mother.” The tom seemed distracted, allowing his mate to lead him to the den's entrance, and out into camp.

     As they approached the medicine den, Silentstorm flicked her ears towards her mate, feeling a flicker of unease. Things had been uneasy between her and most of her friends since their meeting. She hadn't seen her non-ThunderClan friends since that meeting on the island, but she imagined they weren't very happy with how she'd hid the truth. Blazeheart had been acting oddly around her for the last half moon. It wasn't like last time, after she'd returned from RiverClan. This wasn't anger. She could tell he was worried about her, but every time he tried to push her to tell him about the prophecy, she turned away. He clearly felt hurt that she didn't trust him with the truth. Ambertalon had pushed her a few times too, but when Silentstorm snapped at her the last time, she seemed to recognize that she wasn't going to say anything. Now, she mostly seemed concerned.

     But Lightfoot was different. Ever since the meeting, he had only asked her once to tell him about the prophecy. She had ached to the roots of her pelt with the desire to tell him the truth, but she'd turned away with a whimper, saying she couldn't tell any cat. She could tell that he didn't understand, and that he'd been hurt, but she'd promised that she still loved and trusted him, even if she couldn't tell him this secret. After that night, Lightfoot had been nothing but supportive. He hadn't pushed her about the prophecy again, and he was always there for her when her worries and fear over the prophecy became too much for her. As bad as she felt about holding back the truth, she was more grateful than she could say for Lightfoot's love and support.

     And now that his mother was sick, it was her turn to return the favor. She could feel Lightfoot's pelt trembling against her own, and she pressed against her mate's side, giving a comforting flick of her tail against his leg. He glanced at her, seeming uncertain for a moment, before leaning into her touch with a sigh. “Thanks for coming,” he murmured.

     “Of course,” she mewed back, giving a soft lick to his cheek. She fought back a prickle of guilt. _Oh love, I'd tell you if I could,_ she thought. _But I have to face Shade alone._

     They finally reached the cave where Rosepetal was being kept. It was a smaller cave, with a low ceiling and narrow walls, which was why it hadn't been used for any of the Clan's dens. But it was large enough to store some of the sick cats, for the time being. Millie was the sickest, so she was being kept in the medicine den, but Rosepetal and Brightheart were being stored in the cave. They looked up as the cats approached the cave, Brightheart wheezing, “Who's there?”

     “It's Lightfoot and Silentstorm,” Rosepetal told her half-blind denmate. She gave a weak purr in greeting, which was quickly cut off by a bout of coughing. Silentstorm fought to recoil from the stench of sickness, shocked by how weak and hoarse her Clanmate sounded. Rosepetal and Brightheart both sounded much, much worse than when she had last seen them.

     “Yes, it's me,” Lightfoot mewed quietly. He stopped just outside of the den; Leafpool had ordered all healthy cats not to touch or come near their sick Clanmates. Lightfoot was reduced to standing just outside of the den's entrance, clearly feeling helpless. “Hazeltail told us you had greencough; I wanted to see how you were.”

     Rosepetal started to anger, but a new round of coughing cut her off. Silentstorm felt Lightfoot's pelt trembling beside her. She pressed against his side, trying to comfort him, but in truth she felt almost as frightened as he was. She had never seen any of her Clanmates so sick before. Brightheart seemed barely awake, and Rosepetal's voice was raspy and muffled, as though her nose was running. Even worse than that, her mew was far, far weaker than it should be. As Lightfoot tried to start a different conversation with his sick mother, Silentstorm only felt the worry growing more and more in her heart.

      _Oh StarClan, I may be destined to stop the darkness,_ she thought mournfully. _But I can't do anything to stop this sickness._ Even with her mate pressed against her, she had never felt so alone in her life. She couldn't tell her friends the truth about the prophecy at the risk of them stopping her, she couldn't do anything to stop her Clanmates from dying of sickness, or feed them prey that wasn't there. Even if she let Rock possess her this moment, then what? It wouldn't stop the greencough from spreading, and Shade might decide to delay the battle. She had to wait, no matter how much guilt she felt.

     She just hoped that when the time came, there was a Clan left to save.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I accidentally wrote the Silentstorm "saw" something in the chapter, so I've corrected that now.
> 
> Wow, I got that one done fast. XD I was in a hurry to introduce some of the new kits for this book. :D
> 
> So yeah, Seedlight finally has her kits, but it seems that she may be sick. Silentstorm frets about the prophecy some more, and more cats are sick, including Lightfoot's mother.
> 
> Now for the kit's descriptions. ^^
> 
> Flowerkit has medium-length fur with a small white mark on his chest, a fluffy white-tipped tail, and his father's amber eyes. Here is his reference sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Flowerkit-of-ThunderClan-Silent-Sacrifice-652231369
> 
> Robinkit is as I described him in the chapter, and he has pale green eyes (not sure who he inherited those from). Here is his reference sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Robinkit-of-ThunderClan-Silent-Sacrifice-652231381
> 
> Shrewkit is a lithe dusty brown, sort of close to her father's color only darker, tabby with her mother's amber eyes. Here is her reference sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Shrewkit-of-ThunderClan-Silent-Sacrifice-652231409
> 
> Willowkit is a lighter version of her father's color, with his spiky pelt, and yellow eyes. A nice big litter for Sparktail and Seedlight. ^^ Here is her reference sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Willowkit-of-ThunderClan-Silent-Sacrifice-652231421
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter posted soon. I can't believe I'm about to start chapter ten! It's so weird to think I'm almost halfway though this book...


	12. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eeltooth is woken by coughing before dawn

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Ten

     The sound of rough coughing woke Eeltooth. The tom sat up in his nest, blinking groggily in the darkness; the sun had not yet risen. A few nests over, a tabby was hunched over, body racked by coughs. A few other cats were stirring, disturbed by the sound.

     “Yarrowleaf?” Eeltooth whispered. The coughing subsided, the gray-brown tabby meeting his denmate's gaze. “Are you alright?”

     The tabby gave an irritable hiss. “I'm fine, frogbrain,” Yarrowleaf growled. Even as he protested, his voice was raspy from coughing, and his eyes and nose were streaming.

     “You're clearly not fine,” Heronstrike growled from his nest. Eeltooth could see him lifting his head in his nest, his green eyes flashing with annoyance. “And you're keeping cats awake with your hacking.”

     “It's not his fault!” Scaleshine defended her older brother in a sharp hiss.

     Yarrowleaf's tail was lashing now, his yellow eyes bright with anger. “If you don't like it, you can go sleep in the lake instead!” he rasped, glaring at the older warrior. “Get off my tail about it!”

     Minnowtail rose from her nest, rolling her eyes. “Yarrowleaf, it's obvious that you're sick,” she growled firmly. “You're keeping cats up with your coughing, and clearly you're not getting any rest either. Go see Willowshine.” Yarrowleaf opened his mouth to argue, only for another bout of coughing to cut him off. Minnowtail glared at the tom with narrowed eyes, growling, “That wasn't a request.”

     Yarrowleaf glared defiantly at his former mentor, but after a few moments, he turned away with a frustrated hiss. “Fine,” he grumbled. As the tom rose from his nest, Eeltooth was shocked to see how shaky he was on his paws. _He must be more sick than he's letting on,_ he realized, fear prickling at his pelt as Yarrowleaf stumbled out of the den. _Oh StarClan, what next?_

     It was still well before dawn; with Yarrowleaf's coughing gone, most cats settled back into their nests, drifting back off to sleep. But even after curling back onto his nest, Eeltooth couldn't seem to fall asleep. He kept shifting, trying to get comfortable, but his worried thoughts, and the terrible ache of hunger in his belly, kept him awake. He pressed his pelt against Finstrike's, who lay in her nest next to his, to try and warm himself and distract from his thoughts.

     Finstrike had been still beside Eeltooth during the commotion with Yarrowleaf, so he had assumed she'd slept through it. But as he fidgeted now, he heard Finstrike growl, “If you're not going to be able to sleep, go for a walk or something.” He glanced at his sister in surprise. She was lying as still as before, but her eyes were cracked open, her gaze fixed irritably on her brother. “You'll keep me awake too with all your twitching and fidgeting. If you can't settle, go somewhere else, or you'll find my claws in your pelt.”

     Eeltooth fought to keep his whiskers from twitching. “Fine,” he murmured, touching his nose briefly to Finstrike's pelt. He rose to his paws, picking his way gingerly around his denmates in order to reach the den's entrance.

     The weak light from the stars gave a soft silver outline to the dens and reeds surrounding the camp as Eeltooth left his den behind. There was only the smallest sliver left of the moon. It had been half a moon since the last Gathering, and the less-than-successful meeting with Silentstorm on the island. The lack of moon left the camp in greater darkness than usual, and it was still a good bit before dawn would start lighting up the sky.

     Eeltooth thought he was alone in camp at first, but as his eyesight adjusted to the low lighting, he made out the outline of a cat sitting by the edge of one of the streams. The cat turned to glance at him, eyes flashing in the darkness. “Ah, Eeltooth,” Mistystar rasped, giving a weak purr of greeting. “Can't sleep?”

     Taking his leader's mew as an invitation, Eeltooth approached Mistystar, sitting beside her. “Yarrowleaf's coughing woke me up,” he admitted. “I couldn't fall back asleep, and I didn't want to keep Finstrike awake by fidgeting.”

     The amusement faded from Mistystar's gaze, her expression becoming taut with worry. Eeltooth felt a brush of concern as he took in the white speckling Mistystar's muzzle and pelt, and the way her matted pelt hung loosely on her frame. Mistystar was the oldest cat in all four Clans, and she only seemed to get weaker and weaker by the moon. Eeltooth worried often about whether his frail, elderly kin would be able to make it through this harsh leafbare.

     “So many cats are getting sick,” she murmured, her ice-blue eyes glowing with concern. “And we're running low on herbs to heal them.” A shaky sigh escaped the elderly leader. “Our Clan has suffered so much these past moons. We've survived it all, but with so little prey, and the Dark Forest out there...”

     Eeltooth's pelt fluffed out in alarm. Mistystar was always so noble and stoic; he rarely heard her admit her Clan's weakness so openly. She wasn't just his leader; she was his kin, and someone he admired and respected greatly. The vulnerable hunch to her shoulders, and the defeated glow to her eyes, scared him more than he cared to admit.

     After a few moments, Mistystar seemed to remember the cat beside her. She gave a quick shake of her pelt, fluffing out her fur against the cold. “Well, the Clan has survived harder times than this,” she said, her mew stronger now. “We always find a way. Leafbare doesn't last forever, and times will get easier. We just have to do what we can to make it through.”

     Eeltooth nodded slowly. “But not every cat makes it,” he grunted, feeling the old grief pricking at his heart. His father Mallownose had been killed by rogues during the Code's Battle. While he, Minnowtail, and Finstrike had been doing their best to move past his death, Eeltooth still felt an empty ache in his heart whenever he thought about his father. His thoughts took an even darker turn as he added, “And the Clans aren't invincible. We don't even know what the Dark Forest is planning, or how bad things might get.”

     Mistystar glanced at the younger warrior, something in her eyes that Eeltooth couldn't read. “Perhaps I don't,” she murmured after several moments. “But I think perhaps there are some cats who know.” Eeltooth looked at his leader in surprise. “I've been thinking a lot about this for the past few moons, and... I have to wonder why Nightcloud went to Silentstorm first, with her plan to turn against Breeze.”

     The tom's pelt fluffed out in shock. He knew all too well how Silentstorm had won Nightcloud's trust. _The prophecy._ But none of Silentstorm's friends had told any cat about the prophecy. They'd told the Clans that Nightcloud had only approached Silentstorm because of her friendship with Nightcloud's kin. “It... it wasn't about Silentstorm,” he managed once he recovered from his shock enough to speak. “Nightcloud only went to her because she'd seen her talking with Darkbreeze.”

     Eeltooth was surprised to see the sharp intelligence in the look Mistystar fixed on him. “There's no need to treat me like a fool, Eeltooth,” she mewed sternly. “Darkbreeze went on patrols as often as any warrior when we were in the city, and Silentstorm was stuck in the nursery most of the time, or close to the den for Shadowpaw's training. It must have been easier for Nightcloud to find Darkbreeze alone or far from the den to talk to her, rather than Silentstorm. But she went to Silentstorm first.” Her gaze narrowed as she added, “And some nights ago, you and your sister sneaked out of camp to go to the Gathering island.”

     “How do you kn–?” Eeltooth clamped his mouth shut, hoping his leader hadn't noticed the slip. He had tried to be careful that no cat saw him leaving that night; had he really been foolish enough not to notice his sister _and_ his leader tracking him?

     Mistystar was watching him, a light of amusement in her eyes. “My back was aching, and it kept me awake,” she revealed. “I saw you leaving from the entrance of my den, and I tracked your scent the next day.” Her gaze grew more serious as she told Eeltooth, “I don't know what all of this means. But I think that something worse is coming for all of us, and somehow, you and your friends are part of it.” There was wisdom in her stern gaze, still locked on the young warrior. But there was worry too, and fear, which lined her face and made her look more ancient than ever before.

     Eeltooth's pelt prickled with unease. As much as he wanted to reassure his leader, Silentstorm's secret wasn't his to tell. Even if he could tell her what he know, it was only likely to make her worry more. In the moon that Silentstorm had lived with RiverClan, Mistystar had seemed to grow very close with the young cat. Even now, seasons later, she still seemed fond of Silentstorm, speaking with her at Gatherings and when they lived in the city. _Whatever danger is ahead, it's coming for Silentstorm,_ he thought grimly. _We still don't know what it is, but it must be worse than anything we could guess, and we have no idea how to stop it. All I could tell Mistystar is that the danger is worse than she could ever know, and that the cat prophesied to stop it says there's nothing any cat can do to help her._ He didn't want to make Mistystar worry about her Clan, or Silentstorm, any more than she already did when he didn't have a solution to offer.

     After a few moments of silence, he looked away, watching the starlight dancing on the water's surface rather than facing his leader. “I don't know what the Dark Forest is up to more than any other cat,” he answered gruffly. “I wouldn't be sitting here on my tail if I knew how to stop them.” Every word he'd spoken had been true, but he wasn't sure that Mistystar would accept the simple response.

     Mistystar watched the warrior for several moments, apparently waiting for him to elaborate. When he didn't, she gave a soft sigh. “I don't imagine that you would,” she murmured. “That's part of what worries me.” Eeltooth finally looked at her again. There was still worry in her gaze, and resignation too, but some of the strength was returning to her posture. “If there is more to all of this, I suppose we'll find out soon enough. I'm not foolish enough to believe I can convince a bunch of stubborn, strong-headed young warriors to tell me the truth if they've decided not to.” Her gaze narrowed for a moment, her mew becoming stern again. “Just remember, this isn't just about any one cat. The Dark Forest threatens us all, and you have Clanmates depending on you to protect them and provide for them, same as always. We have to face the threats that are in front of us now, not just what might come in the future.”

     The thick-furred tom dipped his head to his leader. “Yes, Mistystar,” he grunted. But inside, he still felt the same fear and worry. _The Dark Forest does threaten us all,_ he thought as Mistystar rose to her paws, beginning to pad back to her den. _But if the prophecy and Silentstorm are right, then it will be up to one cat to stop them alone. I just hope she's wrong._

     He stayed where he was for several moments longer, watching the rippling surface of the water, before rising to his paws. If he wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon, he might as well get some fishing done, rather than sitting around feeling worried.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Eeltooth managed to catch a single perch before returning to camp. By that point, the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, spreading golden light over the forest. The tom retreated to the warrior's den after depositing his catch on the fresh-kill pile, finally managing to fall back asleep.

     By the time he woke again, it was nearing sunhigh. Sunlight was shining on the snow covering the camp as Eeltooth stepped out of the den, nearly blinding in its brightness. Warriors were milling all around camp, their frames frighteningly gaunt, and their eyes glazed over. Eeltooth could feel how his own pelt clung to his ribs. After almost a moon of the Dark Forest stealing their already-scarce prey, every cat was close to starving. Eeltooth couldn't remember the last time he'd had a full meal, or even a decent one. He shared all of his prey with Finstrike now, and occasionally another warrior, if he even had anything to eat for the day. The fresh-kill pile was pitifully small, with so few warriors well enough to hunt for it, and Eeltooth could hear coughing from the medicine den.

     “Eeltooth!” The tom turned at the sound of his name. Reedwhisker was sitting on the Tall Stump, a small crowd of warriors gathered around him. Eeltooth trotted towards the deputy, coming to sit beside Finstrike. He was surprised to see Willowshine and Dustdapple sitting on either side of the Tall Stump. Once Eeltooth was seated, Reedwhisker explained, “The medicine cats are out of catmint for the sick cats, and they need to collect more. But with all of the Dark Forest sightings on our territory, they've requested a warrior escort. Eeltooth, Finstrike, Hurricane, and Dewpaw, you will accompany Dustdapple while he collects more catmint, and you can all help him carry more back to camp.”

     Willowshine gave a small nod. “I have to stay behind with the sick cats,” she told her Clanmates. “Dustdapple knows what the herb looks like, and where it grows. Just follow his instruction, and keep each other safe.” She touched noses briefly with her apprentice, mewing quietly, “Try to bring back enough to last for a while. We need to leave enough to let the herb grow again for the next cold season. But if we don't have to gather more for a while, that would be safest – we don't need to run out with so many cats sick.”

     “I'll do my best,” Dustdapple promised. The tom had been a bit quiet as an apprentice, but had grown into a focused, talented healer, who worked as tirelessly as his mentor to heal his Clanmates. He rose to his paws, brushing past Eeltooth as he mewed, “Let's get going. Our stores are low, and I want to bring more back before we run out.”

     Eeltooth and his Clanmates followed the medicine cat as he led them out of camp. They took the stepping-stones across the stream to read the mainland, following the stream further into their territory. Dustdapple was at the front, his tail flicking briskly behind him as he trotted along the stream's side. “There's a patch that grows further down this stream, near the water's edge,” he called back to the warriors. “It's not too far.”

     The medicine cat had his pelt fluffed out against the cold. Eeltooth felt a rush of sympathy for the tom; even though his pelt was thick, it was the thinnest on the patrol. Eeltooth and Finstrike both had thick, sleek coats to protect them from the cold. Hurricane had a thick, shaggy black coat, and even the ThunderClan-born Dewpaw had a long pelt. Eeltooth was suddenly grateful for the thick fur that was common in RiverClan cats. He imagined that his thin-pelted friends from the other Clans were having a worse time in the cold season.

     “I just hope ThunderClan hasn't got as many sick cats as we do,” Dewpaw murmured, her amber gaze glowing with worry. Finstrike stiffened, glancing at the apprentice, but even she couldn't seem to find the heart to criticize her. Dewpaw had chosen to live in RiverClan to be with her adopted parents, but she still had littermates in ThunderClan to worry about. And it wasn't just her ThunderClan kin; her adopted father, Grasspelt, had fallen ill with greencough, and her adopted brothers Slushfoot and Pikepaw had whitecough.

     Hurricane touched his nose to his apprentice's ear. “Leafbare often brings sickness,” he rumbled, sympathy glowing in his eyes. “But the Clans all have talented medicine cats who will do everything they can to treat those who are sick. ThunderClan is lucky to have Leafpool and Finchwing, and we're lucky to have Willowshine and Dustdapple to look after us.” Dustdapple didn't join the conversation, but gave a grateful flick of his ear at the compliment from the former rogue. “It's more than any of us would have gotten as rogues, or in Breeze's camp.”

     Eeltooth could feel the uncomfortable prickling of Finstrike's pelt beside him. He knew that his sister was uncomfortable with the idea of her Clanmates having loyalties outside of the Clan. She was friendly enough to Dewpaw and Hurricane, at least as friendly as she ever was with her Clanmates, but she clearly worried about how loyalties were being divided. _But there's no reason that Dewpaw can't be loyal to RiverClan while still worrying about her family in ThunderClan,_ he thought firmly, glancing at the tortoiseshell apprentice. _Our friendships in the other Clan only make us stronger. Especially when we have such terrible enemies threatening all of us._

     Not long after they left camp behind, Finstrike froze, sniffing the air. “Wait,” she hissed to the rest of the patrol. They came to a halt. “I can scent... there!” She was looking past Eeltooth, lips curled back in a snarl. Eeltooth turned to see where she was looking.

     Four figures were standing on the other side of the stream, watching the RiverClan warriors. Eeltooth recognized the black-and-orange tom from the battle that cost RiverClan their camp, and he could see the sun shining through all four cats' pelts. _Dark Forest cats!_

     While Hurricane and Dewpaw shifted protectively in front of Dustdapple, Eeltooth and Finstrike raced towards the Dark Forest cats. They threw themselves into the stream, swimming strongly to the other shore even as the shock of the cold water cut through to Eeltooth's bones. But once they reached the other shore, the Dark Forest cats turned and ran, vanishing into mist before they had taken more than a few steps. Eeltooth and his sister slowed to a halt, snarling and panting.

     “I don't get it,” Eeltooth snarled once he got his breath back. “Even when they outnumber us, they run. What are they up to?”

     Finstrike gave a frustrated lash of her tail. “I don't know,” she growled. “Waiting for the right time to attack.”

     “They'd weaken us more by attacking our patrols, and leaving less warriors to hunt,” Eeltooth snorted.

     His sister shook her head. “But then their own warriors would get injured or killed, and that would leave less cats for the final attack,” she pointed out. “They don't need prey like we do. Better to starve us out, and have us weaker, while they stay just as strong for the attack.”

     Eeltooth sighed. What his sister said made sense; he was just tired of waiting, helpless to stop them. “I just hope we can find out how to help Silentstorm soon,” he said in a low voice.

     Finstrike gave her brother a sharp glance. Then, after a moment, her expression softened. “I hope so too,” she murmured. “The Dark Forest threatens us all.” Eeltooth flashed a grateful glance at his sister. As much as she disliked Eeltooth's friendship with Silentstorm, she had agreed to keep the prophecy secret, at least until they knew more. Eeltooth was grateful that his sister was willing to keep Silentstorm's secret, even if she wasn't doing it for Silentstorm. It wouldn't help any cat to spread the secret of the prophecy when they still had no idea how to solve it.

     The littermates returned to their Clanmates, and once they were certain the Dark Forest cats were gone, they set off again. Dustdapple took the lead again, picking up the pace now that they knew there were Dark Forest cats around. Eeltooth took the rear, keeping an eye out for more intruders, while Finstrike and Hurricane flanked the medicine cat.

     It didn't take very long for the patrol to reach their destination. Dustdapple froze at the front of the patrol, then gave a cry of alarm, sending snow flying as he darted forward. Eeltooth shared a baffled look with his sister before following after the younger tom.

     His stomach dropped as he approached the stream's edge, and saw what Dustdapple was crouching over. The ground was disturbed all around the edge of the stream. Clumps of dirt were torn up and scattered over the snow, clawmarks scored through the earth, and roots had been clawed from the ground. There were no plants in sight, only the severed roots. Dustdapple was pawing at the roots, his eyes wild with panic. “It's all gone!” he wailed, his tail trembling wildly. “All of the catmint, it's all been dug up! The plants are gone, and the roots are destroyed. It's all been ruined!”

     Eeltooth froze, terror clawing through his veins. _All of the catmint... oh StarClan, no!_ Catmint was the only herb that could heal greencough. Without that herb, his Clanmates were doomed. Finstrike was bristling next to him, and Dewpaw was staring at the clawed-up ground with wide, fearful eyes. Hurricane seemed stunned too, his pelt fluffed out in shock. “But how?” he rumbled, staring at the destroyed patch in shock. “What could have done this?”

     On stiff legs, Eeltooth approached the clawed-up ground, sniffing at the dirt. He recoiled immediately as a foul, horribly familiar scent hit his nose. “Dark Forest!” he snarled, tail lashing in fury. “They've left their reek all over this patch.”

     Dewpaw took in a sharp breath, her eyes as wide as moons. “The Dark Forest destroyed our herbs?” she gasped, her pelt trembling. "Oh StarClan, how are we going to heal all of the sick cats?" Eeltooth could hear the protective edge in her mew. Dewpaw was very protective of her family, both in RiverClan and ThunderClan, and she was always looking after Silvershine's younger kits. It was clear the apprentice was itching to get back to camp, so she could look after her younger brother, older brother, and adopted father.

     Dustdapple still looked shaken, his green eyes wide with fear. "There... there are one or two other places that catmint sometimes grows on our territory," he mewed, his voice shaking. "But this was the biggest patch we had. And if the Dark Forest found this patch..."

     "They probably found the others," Finstrike finished grimly. The she-cat seemed as stunned as her brother, but now she was collecting herself, a determined glint in her eyes. "We need to get to those patches, now, and then we need to get back to camp. There's nothing we can do about this patch now, and there might still be Dark Forest cats around. If the other patches are ruined too, we can tell Mistystar and let her decide what to do."

     The other cats murmured agreement, but Eeltooth's thoughts had drifted far away. _The Dark Forest is trying to weaken us,_ he thought, feeling fear course through his pelt. _They're planning something, an attack probably, and they want us weak from greencough when it comes._

      _I have to warn the others._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but at least it's a long chapter this time. ^^ Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, guys! :D I hope you had a nice holiday, if you were celebrating one. I got tickets for the Lion King on Broadway (which I'll be seeing the same day as Hamilton, just later in the day 8D), a used GameCube to play my old games that I haven't been able to play since the old one broke, the box set of Dawn of the Clans with the new covers, and some other stuff. ^^ It was a pretty nice Christmas, overall. :D
> 
> Anyway, we see more of Eeltooth's POV here. It seems that Mistystar has guessed that more is going on here. ^^ Honestly, she knows Silentstorm pretty well, it made sense to me that she might figure out Silentstorm was lying before the other leaders did. But she knows better than to think she can get grumpy, stubborn Eeltooth to give up his friend's secret. ^^ And we also learn that more cats have gotten sick, and even worse, the Dark Forest has destroyed their source of catmint. This should be interesting...
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. I'm hoping to get it more quickly than the last one. I'm staying with extended family at the moment, so it might take a bit, but I feel like this chapter won't take as long to write... Also, as I asked before, any guesses on names/descriptions for Darkbreeze, Specklefoot, and Dewfrost's kits? And any guesses on who might have fathered Specklefoot and Dewfrost's kits? Just curious. ^^ I like seeing what people guess, even though my designs are already set in stone.


	13. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm tries to keep her kits safe in the nursery

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Eleven

     Sounds of kits mewling in hunger, coughing, and groaning was nearly overwhelming. Silentstorm flattened her ears back, curling herself more tightly around her kits. Even from her nest in the nursery, Silentstorm could hear the suffering of her Clanmates all around her, and it was agony to hear.

     “Silentstorm?” Screechkit said, her mew low and hesitant. Even her chipper daughter had been left subdued after the events of the last few days. “Can we play outside of the den?” Jaykit was crouched beside her sister, her pelt fluffed out uncomfortably.

     The queen sighed. “Screechkit, I've already told you –”

     “Please?” the kit begged. “We won't go far, just outside of the den.”

     “I'm sorry, Screechkit,” Silentstorm murmured. She ran her tongue over her daughter's back, wishing she could do more to reassure her. “But it's not safe right now.” Silentstorm wasn't sure if she was grateful or chilled when Screechkit didn't argue further.

     It was five days after Seedlight had given birth to her litter. In that time, Seedlight's whitecough had turned into greencough. She, and all of the sick cats, had been moved into the elder's den, since there wasn't enough room for all of them in the medicine den. Spiderleg, Sorreltail, and Hazeltail had been moved into the nursery with the queens, to keep them away from the sick cats.

     Nearly half the Clan was sick now. Toadstep, Skystripe, and Badgercloud had fallen ill with whitecough, and were trying to keep away from the well cats, same as Lilyfrost, Ripplewing, and Russetpaw. Stormpaw and Sunnyflower had gone from whitecough to greencough, and had moved into the elder's den with Brightheart and Rosepetal.

     Even worse was what had happened two nights ago. Leafpool had come into the elder's den to check on the sick cats, only to find that she couldn't wake Millie. The elderly she-cat had passed away in her sleep. That next night, they'd held a vigil for the elder, but only the medicine cats and cats who were already sick were allowed near her. Bumblestripe had hung back by his Clanmates, eyes glazed over with misery as he was unable to sit by his mother for her vigil.

     Rosepetal was getting worse by the day, and didn't seem far from StarClan either, and Sunnyflower was barely conscious these days. Lightningstrike often left her kits in Silentstorm or Ambertalon's care, leaving the nursery to help take care of Sunnyflower and the other sick cats. Silentstorm had thought that Lightningstrike's kits were the ones who cared the most about Sunnyflower, but now she could see that Lightningstrike had her own affection for the caring she-cat, and was dedicated to her care.

     She was there now, leaving her kits in the care of Ambertalon. While Wrenkit and Oatkit were sharing a half-starved mouse, Mousekit was sitting in front of the newest addition to the nursery, her mew bright with curiosity. “What is it like in ShadowClan?” she asked.

     Dewfrost gave a patient purr in response. “Pretty similar,” she told the kit. “The trees are pine and spruce, and the ground is more wet underpaw, with less undergrowth. But the Clan itself is similar. We all care about each other like ThunderClan does.”

     After Seedlight had contracted greencough, Willowkit had contracted it too, while Robinkit had come down with whitecough. Silentstorm, Lightningstrike, and Ambertalon had all weaned their kits, and had no milk to give Seedlight's kits. Leafpool had been so worried about the other two kits falling ill if Seedlight continued to nurse them, that she had gone to their neighboring Clans asking for the help of any nursing queens willing to move Clans temporarily. Dewfrost had volunteered to come to ThunderClan's camp to nurse Seedlight's healthy kits until Seedlight was well enough to look after them herself. She'd told Leafpool that she wanted to repay ThunderClan for sheltering her and Tawnypelt during the flood.

     It wasn't so strange to see an enemy warrior in her camp after everything that had happened the last few moons, but it was still surprising to realize how close the Clans had grown. Both the fact that ThunderClan felt secure enough in admitting their weakness to ask for help, and the fact that ShadowClan had been willing to send one of their queens to an enemy camp to help, made Silentstorm realize how much things had changed between the Clans.

     "How many kits do you have?" Screechkit asked from her nest. As subdued as the kit had been since Millie's death, she was still as nosy as ever.

     Dewfrost gave a proud purr. "Three," she said in a warm new. "Two toms from me, and one she-cat from Specklefoot." She had left her two-day old kits behind in ShadowClan with Specklefoot. Shrewkit and Flowerkit were at her belly now, mewling as they tried to nurse. Dewfrost wasn't any better-fed than the ThunderClan queens, and often didn't have enough milk to feed her charges.

     Mousekit asked curiously, "What do they look like?"

     "The toms are gray like me," Dewfrost mewed. Her tone was warm, but Silentstorm thought she heard a touch of sadness under her mew. Silentstorm felt a rush of sympathy; it couldn't have been easy, deciding to leave her newborn kits, missing their first days of life, to go nurse someone else's. "Rainkit is a darker gray, with a white chest, paws, and tail-tip, and thicker fur. Lizardkit has paler fur than me, with my spiky pelt, and lower fangs that poke out. Petalkit is a tortoiseshell, like Specklefoot, but much darker and with thicker fur."

     Jaykit hadn't spoken yet, but had been listening in gloomy silence. Now, she finally spoke up in a soft mew. "You must miss them," she murmured, sympathy in her mew.

     Dewfrost didn't speak for a few moments. Finally, she admitted quietly, "I do miss them. But I know Specklefoot will look after them well while I'm gone, and someone had to nurse Seedlight's kits." She glanced down at Shrewkit and Flowerkit, giving a small, fond purr. "If we've learned anything the last few moons, it's that the Clans are strongest when we help each other out. And no decent cat would let any kits suffer."

     Silentstorm gave Jaykit a lick between the ears, feeling a brush of pride for her daughter's compassion. Ever since Seedlight's kits had fallen ill, Silentstorm had been keeping her kits confined to the nursery. The sickness was spreading so quickly that she was afraid of her kits catching it if they interacted with too many cats.

     If her kits got sick, there would be no way for the medicine cats to treat them. Lightfoot had returned from a patrol some days ago, saying that WindClan and RiverClan had their catmint supply destroyed by Dark Forest cats. Bramblestar had immediately sent a patrol to check on their own catmint patch by the abandoned twoleg den, but it was too late; the patch was completely destroyed. With the last of their stores gone, Leafpool and Finchwing were reduced to using far less effective herbs to treat the sick cats. All of the sick cats were deteriorating rapidly now that there was nothing to treat them with; Silentstorm knew that if her kits fell sick, they wouldn't stand a chance. As bored as they were inside the den all the time, she couldn't bear to let them out of her sight.

      _“No!”_ Silentstorm's ears shot forward at the anguished cry, instantly on alert. “Oh StarClan, no!”

     Giving a sharp, “Stay here!” to her kits, Silentstorm leaped to her paws, bounding out of the nursery. She came out into the stone hollow, her hackles bristling as she listened to the agonized wailing from the elder's den. Cats were crowding around the den; she came to stand beside Lightfoot, demanding, “What's happened? Why is Sparktail wailing?”

     Lightfoot pressed against Silentstorm's side, his pelt trembling. “Willowkit is dead,” he mewed hoarsely.

     Silentstorm froze, horror washing over her. Ignoring Lightfoot's startled cry, she pushed her way into the elder's den, nearly woozy when the stench of sickness hit her. Sparktail was crouched beside Seedlight, supporting her as she moaned her pain. Robinkit was still squirming beside her, mewling weakly, but as Silentstorm drew nearer, she couldn't hear Willowkit at all. The stench of death was in the air.

     “I was sleeping,” Seedlight rasped. The queen sounded horribly weak, her mew wavering with grief as she leaned against her mate. She reeked of sickness, her voice hoarse and gravely from coughing. “The kits were sleeping next to me. Sparktail came to wake me so I could eat. Robinkit woke to nurse, but no matter how much we nudged her, Willowkit wouldn't wake up.” She groaned her grief, pressing her muzzle against Sparktail's shoulder. He supported her weight, still trembling and stunned from grief.

     The blind queen was overcome with horror, standing stiff with shock in front of the grieving parents. _Oh StarClan, what next?_ she wailed internally. _Willowkit didn't get a chance to live! And her poor parents..._ She lowered her head, feeling her own pelt starting to shake. “Oh Sparktail, Seedlight,” she murmured, “I am _so_ sorry.” She couldn't think of any words, of anything that she could do or say, that could possibly make what had happened any better. What could one possibly say to losing a kit so young? She had a sudden desire to fly back to the nursery, pull her kits close to her, and never let go again.

     There were sudden pawsteps at the den's entrance. “What's going on here?” Leafpool hurried into the den, snapping, “Sparktail, Silentstorm, you're not supposed to be this close to the sick cats!” She froze when she noticed Willowkit.

     “My daughter is gone,” Sparktail rasped, his mew bleak with stunned grief. “I'll never see Willowkit again. I couldn't leave Seedlight to mourn her alone.”

     The medicine cat paused, clearly stunned at the swift death of the kit. When she did speak again, her mew was softened by sympathy. “I'm so sorry, Sparktail. But you still have three more kits, two of them healthy. You can't risk them getting sick if you're carrying the sickness on your pelt.” Gently, she began to nudge Sparktail to his paws. “We'll hold a vigil for her tonight, I promise,” she mewed softly. “But for now, you and Silentstorm need to leave the den, give your pelts a thorough wash in the snow before you go anywhere near the nursery, and look after Shrewkit and Flowerkit. They still need their father healthy.”

     Sparktail swayed as he came back onto his paws. “I'm not leaving Seedlight alone,” he rasped, sounding uncertain.

     “I'll look after Seedlight, I promise,” Leafpool assured him. “But you won't do her or your kits any good if you get sick too. Now go.”

     Silentstorm approached the smaller tom, nudging him gently with her muzzle. “Leafpool's right,” she murmured. “Flowerkit and Shrewkit still need you. Come on.” Sparktail gave a weak growl of protest at first. But after a moment, he slumped, defeated, against the larger she-cat. Silentstorm led the stunned tom out of the elder's den, taking him out to the clearing beyond. Lightfoot came to press against his brother's side as soon as they left the den behind, and Molefoot hovered nearby too, murmuring to his son.

     Sparktail seemed deaf to all of them. He walked like a cat in a trance, numbly putting one paw in front of the other. He shifted a bit more as Silentstorm pressed more firmly against his side, a growl in his throat. “Leave me alone,” he growled, giving a weak lash of his tail. “What do you care if I get greencough? You'd probably throw a feast with all of your enemy warrior friends.”

     “Don't be mousebrained,” Silentstorm mewed, trying to keep her mew sympathetic. She knew that Sparktail's harshness sprung from his grief. Though she would never count Sparktail as a friend, or even a cat she liked very much, she was still as loyal to him as any cat in ThunderClan. “You're my Clanmate.” Her breath caught. “I... I'm so sorry about Willowkit. I can't even imagine.”

     The scruffy tom paused for a moment, seeming surprised. When he spoke again, his mew was rough with grief, but no anger. “I hope you never have to,” he mewed sincerely. “Jaykit and Screechkit... they have so much of their life ahead of them. No one deserves to feel this pain.” Silentstorm could hear his fondness for her kits in his mew, and the rough grief of losing his own daughter. Even if they never saw eye to eye, Silentstorm knew that she could always depend on Sparktail to care for her kits, and she would always care for his.

     She just hoped that she would never have to feel the agony of losing a kit that Sparktail felt now.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The vigil for Willowkit was held that night. Seedlight managed to drag herself out of the elder's den to sit vigil beside her daughter, but Sparktail had to stay back because of the sickness. He stayed beside his brother, pressing against Lightfoot's pelt to steady his trembling. Silentstorm couldn't imagine what he must be feeling, or Seedlight, who was shaking as she crouched over the dead kit.

     After the vigil, Silentstorm washed thoroughly before returning to the nursery. She curled up in her nest, feeling the warmth of her kits next to her as their sides rose and fell. _StarClan, please don't take them,_ she begged internally, feeling fear clawing through her down to her bones. _I don't know how I'd live with myself if I lost them. They have so much life ahead of them._ Her fear stayed with her until she finally drifted off to sleep.

     Silentstorm wasn't surprised to find herself in the misty forest again, with the scent of starlight and soft grass under her paws. Hollyleaf was in front of her, grim in her silence.

     “Did I let this happen?” The words burst from Silentstorm like a dam. “If I let Rock possess me already, I could have stopped Shade before she let the Dark Forest destroy our herb supply.” She hung her head, finally letting herself feel the guilt that she'd been pushing back all day. “Millie and Willowkit are dead because of me,” she rasped.

     Hollyleaf didn't speak for several moments. Finally, she murmured, “It's possible that you could have stopped Shade, yes. But you didn't know what she was planning. Not to mention, she hasn't got a body of her own yet, and you can't fight her while she's mist. She may have even put off the battle once Rock possessed you, and waited until you were weak enough for her to defeat. It's better for you to wait until she has a body, so she can't put the battle off anymore.”

     Silentstorm turned away, guilt still clawing at her gut. “I know,” she murmured. “But the longer I wait, the longer my Clanmates suffer. Maybe I should just get it over with.”

     Pawsteps sounded, and suddenly Hollyleaf's muzzle was pressing against her cheek. “Defeating Shade won't bring the catmint back,” she murmured to the living warrior. “I know it's hard, watching your Clanmates suffer, but sometimes there's nothing we can do to stop these things from happening. All you can do is the best you can for your Clan. Don't blame yourself for what you can't control.”

     The blind warrior sighed, leaning into her kin's touch. “I'm just so scared of losing my kits,” she whispered, feeling herself start to shake. “If they catch greencough, they don't stand a chance. I won't be able to protect them.”

     Hollyleaf pulled back, regarding Silentstorm for a moment. Finally, she mewed, “There's something I think you should see. Come with me.” Puzzled, but curious, Silentstorm followed as Hollyleaf set off, leading her deeper into StarClan's territory.

     They finally came upon a thick patch of brambles, woven into what appeared to be a small den. Two cats were sitting in front of the den, sharing a squirrel. Hollyleaf greeted them with a purr, trotting forward to touch noses with the tom. “Fallen Leaves, Half Moon,” she greeted warmly. “He still isn't back yet?”

     The she-cat, Half Moon, shook her head. “He and Honeyfern are still showing the kits around the territory,” she explained. “He asked us to get some prey together, so we can have a feast when they get back. Berrynose and Poppyfrost said they'll join us later.” Silentstorm stiffened in surprise at the mention of her dead Clanmates. Half Moon's attention was drawn to the warrior at her movement. “I see we have a visitor,” she commented, her mew friendly.

     Hollyleaf nodded, “I think you've already seen her, Half Moon,” she mewed. “Half Moon, Fallen Leaves, this is Silentstorm. Silentstorm, this is my mate, Fallen Leaves, and Half Moon is Jayfeather's mate.”

     Silentstorm froze in shock. “ _Jayfeather's_ mate?” she gasped, too stunned to return the greeting. Her grumpy kin had been a medicine cat; how had he come to have a mate? As she tried to form a response, a new realization came to her. “Wait, I remember your scent,” she realized aloud. “You were there in the vision Rock gave me, when that cat was convincing cats to move to the mountains, and again when you were old and telling cats to move to the old forest territories. And Fallen Leaves, you went into the tunnels, and never came out!” Her mind was reeling. How were these cats, who had lived and died seasons before any cat she'd ever met had been born, mates with her kin? “How...?”

     Fallen Leaves' whiskers twitched. “It's a long story,” he mewed. “Let's just say that a series of events allowed our paths to cross before we all died. Now, we can spend our time together now that we all walk with StarClan... even if all of us don't spend all of our time with StarClan.”

     “You mean... the Tribe of Endless Hunting?” Silentstorm guessed. She remembered how Half Moon had been with the Tribe in the Cave of Rushing Water when she'd told her cats to seek out a new home.

     Half Moon nodded. “I was their first Stoneteller,” she told Silentstorm. “But I was also the one who sent my Tribemates to found the Clans, so I watch over the descendants of those I led in the Tribe, and those that I sent to the Clans.” She gave a warm purr as she added, “And now, I can walk with Jayfeather together in the stars.” Half Moon paused for a moment, before adding, “Speaking of Jayfeather...”

     Silentstorm froze. She could hear pawsteps behind her, and as the wind shifted, a familiar scent washed over her, a scent she had known since she was a kit. Her legs began to feel weak, emotion welling up in chest as the small tom came to stand in front of her. A she-cat was standing some ways behind him, with smaller pawsteps sounding nearby. “Hello, Silentstorm,” the tom mewed.

     “Jayfeather,” she breathed. Once she had spoken his name, the shock broke, and she was racing up to him, nuzzling his cheek and breathing in his scent. “Oh StarClan, I missed you!” She hadn't seen the grumpy medicine cat since he'd died six moons ago, except for brief scents and a pelt against hers in her dreams. This was different; it was like he was alive again, except for the scent of starlight in his fur.

     The tom was purring, butting his head against her neck. “It's good to see you again, Silentstorm,” he purred. He sounded a bit younger than he'd been in life, but not much, and his pelt still carried the scent of herbs and forest and moor that had always been so comforting to Silentstorm, with starlight and ice mixed in. “I've been watching over you, ever since you got back from the city.”

     Silentstorm's breath caught. “Really?”

     “Really,” Jayfeather assured her. “You're a hero, Silentstorm. You saved the Clans from Breeze – and you're a wonderful mother to your kits.”

     The blind queen felt a burst of warmth, and pride. Jayfeather had practically been a second father to her – his approval meant a lot to her. “I named Jaykit after you,” she told the tom. “I wanted her to have your confidence, and your compassion.”

     Jayfeather purred. “I'm honored,” he told Silentstorm. “Jaykit and Screechkit are good kits, and you and Lightfoot have done so well in raising them. They'll be fine warriors one day.” Before Silentstorm could speak, Jayfeather cut her off with a more gruff mew. “And no, that's not based off of any StarClan vision I've had. It's just from knowing you, and my family.”

     Silentstorm sighed, pressing her muzzle against Jayfeather's. “I miss you,” she admitted quietly. “I wish you were still with ThunderClan.” The old grief welled up again, pain clawing at her heart. _I should have saved you._

     Jayfeather jerked back, as though reacting to her thought. “Don't you dare blame yourself,” he rebuked her in a stern growl. “You can't save everyone, you should know that by now, and you did everything you could. It was just my time.” His tone became softer as he added, “I wish I could still be with you, too, and my brother, and Leafpool. But for now, I'll watch over you from the stars. And I'm not alone.” He gestured to the she-cat behind him, mewing, “Silentstorm, I want you to meet Honeyfern.”

     Her ears perked with interest. _My mother's sister._ She approached the she-cat, purring a greeting as she touched noses with Honeyfern. “It's great to meet you,” she told the she-cat. “My mother and Poppyfrost told me a lot about you.”

     Honeyfern purred as she touched noses with her living kin. “I've been watching over you since you were a kit,” she informed Silentstorm. “I'm so glad that my sister found happiness with Lionblaze, and that she had three wonderful kits.” She glanced behind her, gesturing with her tail. “And I think there are two little ones that I've been looking after that you should meet.”

     Silentstorm felt a rush of curiosity as the two kits approached her. They sounded tiny, barely old enough to be walking. “You smell familiar,” one she-kit mewed, coming forward to sniff Silentstorm's paws. “You're Silentstorm, aren't you?”

     The queen froze as she recognized the kit's scent. “Willowkit?” she breathed. “Is that you?” The scent of Seedlight's dead daughter was all over the kit. But Seedlight's kit hadn't opened her eyes yet, let alone been old enough to start walking and talking. “You can talk?”

     “In StarClan, all kits have opened their eyes and ears, and they can walk and talk,” Willowkit informed the queen. “At least, that's what Honeyfern told me. I haven't been here very long yet.”

     Honeyfern purred, reaching down to give Willowkit a lick between the ears. “Seedlight and Sparktail are still living, so I'll be looking after Willowkit until they come to walk with StarClan themselves,” she explained to Silentstorm. “Seedlight is my sister, so I'm their kin. And she's not the only kit I've been looking after.” She nudged the other kit forward, murmuring, “Lichenkit, come meet your sister.”

     Silentstorm 's breath caught as the she-kit padded up to her. “Lichenkit?”

     “Hello, Silentstorm.” The kit sounded just as young as Willowkit, but her mew sounded a bit similar to Cinderheart. She carried Cinderheart and Lionblaze's scents, and she even smelled similar to Silentstorm and Blazeheart, over her scent of starlight. She couldn't see her sister's pelt, but Cinderheart had told her that Lichenkit looked almost identical to Lionblaze. “It's nice to meet you.”

     “It's nice to meet you too,” Silentstorm mewed, still awed by the fact that her sister was in front of her. Lichenkit had died of greencough when Silentstorm was too young to remember her. She had thought on occasion about what it would be like to have a sister, but she didn't really have any memories of Lichenkit, and she'd always felt happy enough just having a brother. But now that she was finally meeting Lichenkit, she felt a pang of regret. “I wish I could have known you, properly. You could have been a warrior with me and Blazeheart.”

     The kit dipped her head. “I know,” she mewed. “I wish I could have had that, too. But I've been watching over you with Honeyfern and Hollyleaf. I was proud to watch you and Blazeheart train and become warriors, and now, you're a prophecy hero.” Her mew became brighter as she added, “One day, you'll walk with StarClan, and you can play mossball with me, and we can be real sisters.”

     Silentstorm's whiskers twitched. Lichenkit seemed calmer, like Blazeheart, but Silentstorm could see her own spark in the kit. “I'd like that,” she told Lichenkit. “But, no offense, I hope that day doesn't come for some moons.”

     Lichenkit purred her amusement. “Fair enough,” she purred. “And I already have a new playmate. I can't wait to show Willowkit around StarClan, where all the good places to hunt and play are.”

     “I'm glad Willowkit has family here,” Silentstorm purred. But even as she felt relief for Willowkit and Lichenkit's safety, there was still a pang of loss. Lichenkit and Willowkit were safe and happy in StarClan, but they would never get to grow older, or be warriors, or know the joy of hunting or fighting for their Clan. Even if they were safe now, they had still lost something that could never be recovered. _I won't let that happen to my kits,_ she thought firmly. _They will be warriors._

     As the kits drew back to Honeyfern, Hollyleaf approached Silentstorm. “Your family is here, Silentstorm, and they're watching over you,” she murmured. “We can't fight this battle with you, but we'll always be here to support you. You don't have to go through this alone.”

     Silentstorm let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The grief of Millie and Willowkit's deaths still hung heavy in her heart, and the fear of what was to come clawed at her gut. But there was a feeling of warmth and safety, having her family surrounding her. For the first time, she began to believe Hollyleaf; she wasn't going through her struggles alone.

     And when the time was right, they would give her the strength to face her greatest challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another chapter done. ^^ This is going to be quick, because I'm on my way to my cousin's house for a holiday party, and I only have until the car arrives there to post this chapter.
> 
> So Specklefoot and Dewfrost finally had their kits. ^^
> 
> Petalkit has amber eyes, and here is her ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Petalkit-of-ShadowClan-Silent-Sacrifice-653908796  
> Lizardkit has amber eyes, and here is his ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Lizardkit-of-ShadowClan-Silent-Sacrifice-653908080  
> Rainkit has his mother's ice-blue eyes, and here is his ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Rainkit-of-ShadowClan-Silent-Sacrifice-653908843  
> Any guesses on the father?
> 
> We also get to meet Willowkit, and Lichenkit, properly. And Willowkit and Millie have died, sadly. Millie was led to StarClan by Blososmfall, and Willowkit was led to StarClan by Honeyfern, as was Lichenkit. And she's mothering both of them while they're in StarClan.
> 
> See you all at the next chapter!


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three kits are nursing against their mother's belly...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twelve

     Weak sunlight filtered into the nursery through the branches of the gorse bush. Three she-cats lay in their nests, kits racing around in their games. In one nest, three kits were at their mother's belly, kneading as they nursed.

     Darkbreeze felt a fierce rush of love as she gazed at the three kits at her belly. They were only two days old, and she already loved them with the ferocity of LionClan. Stormkit looked the most like her, with her dark gray tabby pelt. The white on her muzzle, nose, throat, chest, belly, paws, and tail, however, were from her father. Darkbreeze had named her after Silentstorm, her closest friend, and the cat she owed her life to, despite her recent deception.

     Heatherkit had been named after her mother, and was the most similar to his father of the litter. He had splashes of Cosmo's bright ginger all over his white pelt, but with stripes more similar to his mother. He and Stormkit had the thinner pelts of WindClan cats, but Cottonkit had her father's thick fur. She was a cream tabby, a much lighter version of her father's ginger, with a white tail-tip. Darkbreeze had named her after the cotton grass found on the moor, a symbol of her love for WindClan – and also because cotton sounded similar to Cosmo. She wanted her kits to carry their father with them, even if he couldn't be there to raise them.

      _Cosmo._ Darkbreeze sighed, glancing away from her kits for a moment. Her heart ached for the kittypet like it never had before. More than anything, she wanted him by her side for this moment, to see how beautiful their kits were, and to look after them together. But Cosmo still had no idea that Darkbreeze had birthed his kits. She hadn't had an opportunity to leave camp much since cats had started falling ill, let alone make a trek all the way to the city, and now she had her kits.

     “Thinking about Cosmo?” Darkbreeze was startled from her thoughts by the words. She glanced over at Heatherstar, who was watching her with sympathy glowing in her blue eyes. Her mother was lying in her own nest, watching over Darkbreeze's half siblings. Firekit was playing Mossball with Honeyheart's son, Cricketkit, taunting the younger kit as she dangled the moss over his head. The rest of Honeyheart's kits were playing with a feather next to Honeyheart, who lay in her nest. Ashkit and Eaglekit were close to Heatherstar's flank, tugging on either end of a hare bone, trying to see who was stronger.

     Darkbreeze flattened her ears in embarrassment. “Was it that obvious?” she asked sheepishly.

     “Yes,” Heatherstar told her bluntly, though her whiskers were twitching. “And I don't blame you. It's hard to look over your young kits, knowing that their father won't be there to love them with you. It must be even harder, now that they're finally here.” Darkbreeze didn't miss the glow of sadness in Heatherstar's eyes, or the wistfulness as she gazed at Breeze's young kits.

     The queen felt a pang of regret. Her own father, Breeze, had been exiled from WindClan when she was only a kit. Heatherstar had been forced to raise her kits without the support of their father, though she'd had other kin to help her get through it. No one knew the pain of raising kits without her mate like Heatherstar. “That's different,” she argued. “Breeze had murdered warriors of our Clan. At least I have the comfort of knowing Cosmo's an honorable cat. And I know that he'd love our kits, if he knew. I won't have any shame in telling my kits about their father; you had to tell me and Nightfern that our father was a traitor.”

     Heatherstar inclined her head. “That's true,” she mewed. “But whatever the reason, it's still never easy not to have your mate beside you to raise your kits.” She glanced fondly at Darkbreeze's kits, mewing, “Just know that even if Cosmo isn't here, Nightfern and I will always be here to help you. Your kits will grow up loved by their family.”

     Touched, Darkbreeze gave a loud purr, wrapping her tail around her kits. “Thank you,” she mewed sincerely. “I miss Cosmo, but I'm glad that my kits will grow up in WindClan, with my family.” Her thoughts grew darker as she added, “I just hope I can keep them safe long enough for that.”

     The leader's expression grew more grim. Before she could reply, a head poked through the gorse entrance. Icefur had pushed her head into the nursery, her expression taut with fear. “Heatherstar, can I talk to you, privately?”

     Heatherstar was on her paws in an instant, her expression alert. “Kits, stay here,” she mewed firmly. “Ashkit, make sure your sisters stay.”

     The only tom in Heatherstar's litter gave a short nod. “Yes, Mother,” he mewed obediently. He gave his sisters a stern gaze, clearly emphasizing his current rank as the kit in charge. Firekit stuck her tongue out at him, while Eaglekit just rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed. Heatherstar watched them a moment longer, fondness and love in her gaze, before following the medicine cat apprentice out of the nursery.

     Darkbreeze shared a worried glance with Honeyheart. Icefur had looked really worried; what if the sick cats had gotten worse?

     In the last ten days, greencough had spread through WindClan like wildfire. Sunstrike had been the worst off, going from healthy, to whitecough, to greencough in a matter of days, and succumbing to it days later. Her vigil had been held two nights ago. Gorsetail seemed moments from joining StarClan every time Darkbreeze saw her, and Quickhare and Crouchfoot weren't much better off. Palestripe seemed stronger than the other cats with greencough, but she was weakening quickly. Kestrelflight and Icefur had been working their paws off, trying to look after all of the sick cats. But when the news had come from Eeltooth on a patrol that the Dark Forest had destroyed their source of catmint, the Clan's morale had taken a nosedive. Every cat was terrified now that the medicine cats had no way of treating the sick cats. The medicine cats tried different combinations of herbs to try and treat the sickness, but it was clear that it wasn't working, and cats were losing hope. They were all waiting to fall ill themselves, feeling helpless to do anything but watch their Clanmates grow worse and die.

     Honeyheart looked particularly shaken as Darkbreeze glanced at her. “Oh StarClan, I hope it isn't Quickhare,” she breathed. Her mate was one of the sickest cats. “He was barely conscious when I visited him the other day.”

     Sympathy washed over Darkbreeze, but she felt helpless to reassure her denmate. What could she possibly say that would make the truth of Quickhare's condition any easier to bear? With no herbs to treat the sickness, the medicine cats were helpless to heal their Clanmates, and the other Clans were no better off. It seemed like there was nothing any cat could do at this point.

     “Don't worry about Father,” Cricketkit chirped, abandoning his game with Firekit and padding towards his mother. The kit's expression was filled with its usual optimism and cheer. “He's one of the toughest warriors ever! A bit of greencough will never beat him.”

     Honeyheart gave a weak purr, touching her nose to Cricketkit's head. “I hope you're right, little one,” she murmured. But her expression told Darkbreeze that she wasn't so sure, and the dubious look that Harekit and Tawnykit exchanged told Darkbreeze that they weren't as naive as their brother. While Cricketkit had boundless enthusiasm, and a good heart, he wasn't the brightest. He didn't seem to realize how grave his father's illness was.

     “Well, whatever it is, it must be important if Icefur and Heatherstar are meeting privately,” Firekit mewed, sounding very self-important.

     Eaglekit poked her sister with one paw, mewing gruffly, “Of course it's important, harebrain. Why else would Heatherstar look so worried?” The smallest of Heatherstar's adopted kits rarely had patience for her littermates' harebrained games and schemes, and was definitely the grumpiest of the kits. Ashkit was friendlier than his sister, but more focused and serious than Firekit. The flame-colored tabby was playful and didn't always think before she spoke. She loved competing with the other kits over who was faster and a better hunter, especially Tawnykit from Honeyheart's litter.

     Darkbreeze knew that many of her Clanmates had been uncertain about letting Scorch and Breeze's kits join WindClan as the leader's adopted kits. But it was clear that, even though they weren't hers, Heatherstar fiercely loved the three kits. They fit in well in the nursery, and were ambitious to be the best warriors they could. Darkbreeze adored her half siblings, careful to protect them from the doubts of their Clanmates, which luckily was starting to die down. With so many cats sick, a few kits were the least of any cats' concerns.

     That thought grew more urgent when Darkbreeze heard a yowl from outside the nursery. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!”

     Honeyheart froze, looking worried. “I'm going to go see what's going on,” she whispered, tail bristling with fear.

     Darkbreeze felt the same fear clawing at her heart. _What if the sick cats or worse? Or it's something about the Dark Forest?_ “Me too,” she decided. She glanced at Heatherstar's kits, mewing, “Would you three mind keeping my kits warm for a little while? I won't be gone long, and they've already fed.” At three moons old, Heatherstar's kits were definitely still playful, but becoming more mature. Darkbreeze knew they could look after her kits and keep them warm for the short duration of the meeting.

     All three kits gave mews of agreement. “Don't worry about your kits, Darkbreeze!” Firekit called cheerfully. “We'll keep them safe!” Darkbreeze watched as the three older kits crowded around the newborns, pressing their pelts against Darkbreeze's kits to keep them warm. Honeyheart's daughter, Mothkit, wandered over as well, joining the older kits in their efforts to keep the newborns warm with a gentle purr. Darkbreeze hovered for a moment, making absolutely sure her kits were safe, before turning and following Honeyheart out of the nursery.

     As the queens stepped out of the nursery, most of the Clan had already gathered around the Tallrock. Heatherstar stoop atop it, her head held high and tail lashing with authority. Larksong sat on one side of the Tallrock, and Icefur sat on the other. Larksong's gaze was dull, her face lined with worry; her mate was one of the sick cats. Darkbreeze came to sit beside Nightfern and Wetwhisker, mewing a quick greeting before looking up at her mother.

     Heatherstar's expression was grave. “Warriors of WindClan, Icefur has brought me troubling news,” she announced. “Kestrelflight has fallen ill with greencough.”

     Shocked cries rang out from the crowd, fear-scent flooding the clearing. Darkbreeze froze in shock, terror pulsing through her pelt. It had already been bad enough when they had no herbs and so many warriors ill. But now their medicine cat was sick? Darkbreeze felt a rush of fear at the thought of her goofy, cheerful kin succumbing to the illness he'd fought so hard to cure.

     “Silence!” Heatherstar yowled. Darkbreeze could see fear in her eyes; Kestrelflight wasn't just her medicine cat, he was her littermate. But she kept her tone even as she continued, “The truth is, no cat is going to get better with herbs, and more cats are going to get sick if we don't cure those who are sick. Icefur, Larksong and I have spoke, and we have decided that it is time to look beyond our territory for catmint. We will send a patrol of warriors to search for the herb in the moorlands beyond our borders.

     Some cats seemed relieved by their leader's decision, but others were crying out protests, their pelts ruffled with fear.

     “Will Icefur come with us?”  
     “How are warriors supposed to know what catmint looks like?”  
     “What if they can't find any?”  
     “What if the Dark Forest attacks them first?”  
     “What if they don't come back?”

     Heatherstar tried to quell the worries of her Clanmates. “With Kestrelflight sick, Icefur has to stay behind, to look after her sick Clanmates,” she explained. “She will speak at length with the warriors looking for catmint, so they can be sure of what it looks like and where it might be found. This is our best chance of finding catmint before we lose any more of our Clanmates.” She was trying to sound confident, but Darkbreeze knew her mother well enough to see the fear underneath. Heatherstar was as scared as her Clanmates of what the future held.

     Suddenly, a new thought struck Darkbreeze. She froze for a moment, thinking it over carefully, before calling out slowly, “That may not be necessary. I think I might know where we could find some catmint, without sending our warriors to wander aimlessly.”

     Every cat stiffened, turning to look at the queen with varying degrees of hope and doubt. Heatherstar's pelt was fluffed out in surprise as she called to her daughter, “And where would that be?”

     “The city,” Darkbreeze answered. Murmurs of surprise spread through the crowd. “It's not quite like other twolegplaces, but some of the twoleg dens still have small gardens.” She hesitated, before admitting, “Cosmo told me once that his twolegs keep a garden, and they have all kinds of herbs and flowers there. I think he may have mentioned catmint being among them. I'm sure that if we go to the city and ask him, he'll give us what we need for our Clanmates, and for the other Clans.”

     As she spoke, Darkbreeze's Clanmates appeared to become more enthusiastic, their eyes lighting up with hope for the first time in what seemed like moons. When she had finished speaking, they were murmuring and mewing their excitement, looking up at Heatherstar to await her answer. Heatherstar gave her daughter a long, measured look, before finally dipping her head. “It's a long way to go when we aren't certain that we'll find what we need,” she told Darkbreeze. “But Cosmo has been a friend to our Clan before. Even if his den doesn't have what we need, he or Rizzo may know where to find catmint in the city.”

     After a few moments, she gave a firm nod. “Very well. I will organize a patrol to go to the city, to ask Cosmo for catmint.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     The next day, after an extended briefing and traveling herbs from Icefur, the patrol set off towards the city. ShadowClan was across the lake from them, so they had decided to pass through RiverClan territory to get there.

     When Darkbreeze has insisted on accompanying the patrol, Heatherstar hadn't tried very hard to stop her. She seemed to understand that this was something Darkbreeze needed to do. She wanted her Clanmates cured as much as any cat, but it was more than that. This, at last, was her chance to see Cosmo again. She could finally tell him about their kits. _He may not be able to help me raise you, my little ones,_ she thought as she and her Clanmates set off, _but he will know about you, and love you as much as I do._

     They set off early in the day, staying within two fox-lengths of the lake as they traveled through RiverClan territory. Darkbreeze stayed to the rear of the patrol, walking beside Tunnelshade, who helped support the out-of-shape queen as they trudged through the snow. Larksong headed the patrol, with the newly-named Gorsewhisker beside her. Nightfern's sons had passed their final assessments and earned their full names three nights ago. Gorsewhisker had asked to come on the patrol, as his brother Thicketshade was sick with whitecough and getting worse.

     Four cats was small for such a patrol, but Heatherstar had been unwilling to send any more, with so few cats healthy enough to hunt. Darkbreeze only hoped that they would be back with the herbs before any more Clanmates were lost. She was the slowest on the patrol, still clumsy from carrying kits, but she did her best to keep up and not make the patrol slow down for her.

     Their trip through RiverClan territory was mostly uneventful, but once they reached ShadowClan territory, they were almost immediately greeted by a patrol. The WindClan cats shuffled closer together as ShadowClan warriors stepped out of the undergrowth, but there was no great feeling of fear or tension. The faces that Darkbreeze saw surrounding her weren't just enemy warriors, they were cats she had hunted with and fought beside. Buffy stood at the head of the patrol, with Oddtail, Foxfoot, Stoatstrike, and Snowpaw coming to stand around the WindClan cats.

     “Greetings,” Buffy mewed briefly, though without any real aggression in her mew. Darkbreeze took in the gaunt-framed warriors in front of her, and sent a prayer to StarClan that the first instinct of these starving cats hadn't been to suspect prey theft. Buffy's blue gaze was curious as it swept across the WindClan patrol. “I must ask, what is the deputy of WindClan doing on our territory?”

     “We aren't intruding,” Larksong replied, equally calm. “We're within two fox-lengths of the lake – that's allowed. Although, we must ask permission to go deeper into your territory.”

     Buffy's gaze narrowed. “And why is that?”

     Larksong quickly explained their mission. The ShadowClan cats started out suspicious, but quickly grew enthusiastic. “If you're right, then all of the Clans can benefit,” Buffy realized aloud, eyes blazing with hope. “Even if Cosmo doesn't have enough on his own, there are plenty of kittypets in the city whose twolegs have gardens. I wish I'd thought of it before – my twoleg didn't have anything like that, or maybe I would have.”

     “Would you like to come with us?” Larksong offered. “Two patrols can carry more herbs back than one, and we can work together to spread the news to the other Clans.”

     Buffy glanced back at her patrol, waiting for their nods of assent before turning back to Larksong, “We would be glad to,” she told the younger she-cat in a sincere mew. “The sooner we can bring as much catmint as possible back to our Clans, the better.”

     With that decided, the patrols set off together, traveling deeper into ShadowClan's forest. Buffy led the way, while Larksong took the rear, watching for enemies. Foxfoot fell in beside Darkbreeze, mewing a friendly greeting. “You look like you've finally had your kits,” she mewed, glancing the she-cat over. “Congratulations! How are they?”

     “Wonderful,” Darkbreeze purred, bursting with pride. “I have three of them, all healthy, thank StarClan.”

     Foxfoot gave a friendly purr in reply. When she had been the rogue Scram, she had been somewhat closed-off and cold, hardened by her rough life on the street. But she was much friendlier and more open now, and seemed to be settling into Clan life well. “That's good to hear,” she said. “I'm sure Cosmo would have been as proud of them as you are.”

      _I hope you're right,_ Darkbreeze thought, feeling a twinge of anxiety. She knew that Cosmo loved her, and if she knew him, he would love their kits too. But what if he was angry that she hadn't told him about the kits until they were born? What if he wasn't ready to be a father, even if she wasn't asking that of him, and rejected her and the kits? As happy as she was to be going to see Cosmo again, the thought of finally telling him about their kits filled her with anxiety.

     The sun was starting to set by the time they reached the edge of ShadowClan territory. Darkbreeze's heart started to beat faster as they neared the border. _We're almost there._

     Hope turned to shock and fear the moment Buffy's paw touched the border. As soon as her paw brushed past the border, a shriek rang out, and dark forms leaped out of the undergrowth and slammed into the patrol. Darkbreeze shrieked as a small brown tabby bowled her over, snarling in her ear as her claw scored across Darkbreeze's shoulder. The queen twist around to strike her claws at the tabby's scarred muzzle, but the tabby pulled her muzzle away in time, using her front paw to pin Darkbreeze's muzzle to the snow. Darkbreeze yowled her pain as the tabby's claws dug into her muzzle, her weight keeping the clumsy queen pinned.

     Suddenly, the tabby's weight was lifted from Darkbreeze. She looked up, panting, to see Foxfoot grabbing the tabby by the scruff. The tabby whirled on Foxfoot with a snarl. Darkbreeze leaped to her paws, hooking her claws into the tabby's shoulder while Foxfoot swiped at her muzzle. But even as they managed to beat the tabby back, a massive pale ginger tom with a mangy pelt bore down on them, joined by a small brown tabby tom, both of their pelts so faint that Darkbreeze could barely make them out. Darkbreeze shrieked as the golden tom sank his fangs into her back, his one yellow eye glaring hatred at her, while the tabbies were ganging up on Foxfoot.

     All around Darkbreeze, the rest of the patrol was facing similar problems. Buffy and Larksong were back-to-back as they faced three Dark Forest spirits, Oddtail and Tunnelshade were crouching protectively in front of Snowpaw as four Dark Forest cats faced them, and Stoatstrike was dodging in and out with the deft speed of a weasel to defend Gorsewhisker from two enemies. Everywhere Darkbreeze looked, the Clan cats were being overwhelmed, and losing.

     “What is the meaning of this?” Buffy snarled in the face of the massive tortoiseshell she was fighting. Darkbreeze recognized her as the cat Blazeheart had described as Mapleshade. “We didn't come here to fight you.”

     Larksong lashed her tail, snarling with authority, “Let us pass in peace!”

     Mapleshade gave a snarl, her amber gaze lighting up with cruel glee. “Clan cats should stay in Clan territory,” she hissed, giving a lash of her white tail. “Or doesn't your precious warrior code mean anything to you anymore?”

     “You chose your borders,” the one-eyed tom snarled, prying his jaws off of Darkbreeze. The WindClan queen tried to take advantage of his distraction, but a gray-and-white she-cat slammed her paws down on Darkbreeze's shoulders, forcing her attention away. “You must keep them now. No Clan cats allowed out of Clan territory.” The gray-and-white cat worked together with a ginger tom to keep Darkbreeze pinned to the ground. All around her, the other Clan cats were being subdued as well.

     “We'll be guarding the borders now,” a massive tom with a sickly off-white pelt sneered. “Any cat who tries to cross those borders will pay the price.” He glanced over at some of his Clanmates, giving a firm nod.

     Before Darkbreeze had time to wonder what he meant, a small gray tabby darted through the crowd of spirits. Darkbreeze's breath caught. _Gray!_ The small tom bounded up to Tunnelshade, who was being pinned on his back by three Dark Forest cats. Tunnelshade had been snarling his defiance, but when faced his with young former Clanmate, he seemed more uncertain.

     With a vicious snarl, Gray unsheathed his claws, and brought them slicing across Tunnelshade's exposed throat. Tunnelshade's body convulsed, his eyes bugging out as blood spurted from the open wound. Darkbreeze shrieked, thrashing and fighting viciously against the cats who had her pinned, but to no avail. “Leave him alone!” she cried, though it was already too late. _Is this what my kin has become?_

     Gray seemed unconcerned with the tom thrashing in agony in front of him. He settled calmly onto his haunches, leaning down to clean the blood from his claws. But Darkbreeze could see his excitement in the bristling of his hackles. Mapleshade stepped forward, coming to stand beside the dying Tunnelshade. “Take this message to all of the Clans,” she ordered, her gaze glinting with cruel amusement. “No cat is to leave Clan territory. Any cats who attempt otherwise will share this hare-chaser's fate.” She gave Tunnelshade a careless glance, flicking her tail dismissively against his pelt.

     “We'll be watching,” the light ginger tom promised in an ugly sneer. One by one, the Dark Forest spirits stood back, allowing the Clan cats to struggle back onto their paws. Oddtail rushed right to Tunnelshade's side, while Buffy and Larksong darted in front of him, snarling at any Dark Forest cat who dared to come near. But none of the spirits were moving; they stayed where they stood, watching the Clan cats surround their dying Clanmate with cold indifference.

     Darkbreeze hurried to Tunnelshade's side, quickly joined by Gorsewhisker and Snowpaw. Oddtail stood over the dying cat, digging under the snow to find leaves to press against the wound. She tried to quell the flow of blood, mewing soothingly to him, while Stoatstrike and Foxfoot stood by to watch the Dark Forest cats. Tunnelshade's eyes were blazing with terror and anguish, but his struggles were growing weaker, and the wet leaves on his wounds were quickly being stained with scarlet blood. Oddtail looked up at the other cats, her gaze bleak and panicked. “It isn't working,” she breathed.

     The WindClan queen pressed in closer to her Clanmate, running a soothing paw over his flank. “I'm sorry, Tunnelshade,” she whispered, feeling the words stick in her throat. _This is my fault,_ she wailed internally. _If I hadn't been so stupid and selfish, wanting to see Cosmo again, thinking I could really lead us to the cure..._

     Tunnelshade's body gave one, final jerk, and then fell motionless. His gaze glazed over, staring sightlessly at the sky. Oddtail slunk back, trembling with shock. “He's dead,” she murmured, hanging her head in defeat.

     “That was Gray.” Darkbreeze looked over to see Gorsewhisker staring at Tunnelshade's body, looking stunned. “That was my brother. How... how could he do this?” He looked up at Darkbreeze, his expression full of agony. “I know he killed Shadepaw, but he was still my brother... but he didn't even hesitate. He looked _happy_ to kill Tunnelshade. Is that what my own brother is now?” He glanced over at the spirit of his brother, who met Gorsewhisker's gaze with cold amusement. Gray leaped lightly to his paws, retreating back to the ranks of his new Clanmates.

     Darkbreeze approached Gorsewhisker, pressing against the side of her young kin. She wanted to comfort him, but there was nothing she could say to that. No words would make better the fact that Gray was a monster.

     Once Tunnelshade was dead, Mapleshade lifted her chin. “Go now, while we still allow it,” she sneered. “Take your dead warrior and return to your precious Clans. But do not forget what you've learned here today.”

     “The borders are closed, and we'll be making extra-sure that no Clan cats leave Clan territory,” the brown tabby snarled.

     “Now go,” Mapleshade growled.

     Buffy bared her fangs in a snarl, but Larksong cut off her reply with a firm growl. “We're going,” she growled, her green glare filled with hate as she fixed it on the Dark Forest warriors. “Gorsewhisker, Oddtail, carry Tunnelshade's body. Let's get out of here.”

     Snowpaw seemed like she was about to argue, but Foxfoot hissed at her and she fell silent. Still seeming stunned, Gorsewhisker and Oddtail worked together to support Tunnelshade's body between them. Once he was secure, the patrol began to turn away, leaving the Dark Forest warriors behind them. Buffy took the rear, keeping an eye on the Dark Forest cats until the last, but they never pursued. They watched the retreating Clan cats with triumph blazing in their eyes. _They know they've beaten us,_ Darkbreeze thought, her pelt chilled with fear.

     Once they were out of earshot of the Dark Forest, Foxfoot turned on Buffy and Larksong with a hiss. “Why didn't we stay and fight?” she demanded.

     Larksong faced the furious warrior calmly. “Did that look like a fight we could win?” she asked, her tone cool. “They outnumbered us badly, and they were able to keep us all incapacitated long enough to murder a warrior in front of us. If we had stayed, we would have died.”

     “But we need that catmint!” Gorsewhisker protested, mew heavy with fear. “We have to fight! If we don't, our Clanmates will die!”

     “And if we die trying to fight an enemy we can't beat, how will our Clanmates eat?” Stoatstrike challenged, glaring up at the other warriors and lashing her tail. Even though her tone was hard, Darkbreeze could see the fear in her eyes. “Dead cats can't bring back catmint, and there's too few cats healthy enough to hunt as it is.”

     Buffy glanced over the entire patrol, stunned horror in her gaze, but also determination. “You're all injured, and it's too late to travel all the way back to WindClan territory in this state,” she commented. “Come with us; I'm sure Tigerstar will let you stay in our camp tonight. Twigclaw can look you over, and we can make sure your warrior gets a proper vigil and burial.”

     The thought of her Clanmate having to be buried in another Clan's territory tore like claws at Darkbreeze's heart. But she knew that there was no way they would make it back to WindClan carrying Tunnelshade's body, with so many cats injured and the sun already setting. Larksong seemed to realize it too. She hesitated for a moment, pain in her gaze as she looked at Tunnelshade's body. But after a moment, she looked back at Buffy, dipping her head. “We are very grateful for your offer,” she murmured. “My warriors and I would be glad to accept.”

     As the patrol began to organize and set off for the camp, the truth of what had happened finally began to sink in for Darkbreeze. The Dark Forest had destroyed all catmint inside of Clan territory, and now they were being confined to Clan territory. Unless they found a way to get past the Dark Forest cats, there would be no way to gather the catmint their Clanmates desperately needed. _Our Clanmates are dying, and the Dark Forest is determined to keep us from helping them._

     A chill ran through the queen's pelt. _We have to stop them, before there aren't any Clanmates left to protect._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another Darkbreeze chapter. :D And we finally get to see her kits! ^^ I tried to make them a good mix of both of their parents
> 
> Now for their descriptions. Cottonkit has pale green eyes, a paler version of her father's, and here is her ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Cottonkit-of-WindClan-Silent-Sacrifice-654553383  
> Heatherkit has a slightly ligher shade of his mother's blue eyes, and here is her ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Heatherkit-of-WindClan-Silent-Sacrifice-654553404  
> Stormkit has amber eyes - not sure who she got those from. Breeze, maybe, and here is her ref sheet: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Stormkit-of-WindClan-Silent-Sacrifice-654553414
> 
> Speaking of kits, some people were able to correctly guess the father of Specklefoot and Dewfrost's litter, so I'll reveal it officially. The father is Eeltooth. ^^ He's aromantic, for those who've forgotten, and has no desire for a mate or kits of his own. So when Specklefoot came to him explaining that she and Dewfrost needed a tom's help to have kits for them to raise, he was happy to oblige her because of their close friendship. He doesn't want to be a father to the kits; the kits are Specklefoot's and Dewfrost's to raise, he just helped them to have their kits. He cares about them the same way he cares about Silentstorm or Darkbreeze's kits, as the kits of a close friend's, but not as his own. At the moment, Speckle and Dew are planning not to tell the kits who their father is while they're young, and only tell them when they're adults if they really want to know, but they won't lie to them about it. They want to be the only parents in their kits' lives.
> 
> Moving along, we also get to see why the Clans can't look outside of Clan territory for catmint. I snuck a lot of canon Dark Forest spirits into this chapter (and a few cats from the canon books that I decided went to the DF after death in my 'verse), see if you can spot them. ^^ And Tunnelshade is dead, as is Sunstrike. Sunstrike was led to StarClan by her mate Harespring, and Tunnelshade was led to StarClan by Sunstrike.
> 
> We also learn that Nightfern's sons have been made warriors. Not sure what Gorsewhisker was named after, mostly just because I thought it sounded cool. But Thicketshade was named after his sister, which is a name he requested Heatherstar to give him, because he wanted to honor Shadepaw by carrying her name. It seemed fitting, and I didn't already have a set name for him because he was the one meant to by killed by Gray, originally, not Shadepaw.
> 
> Next chapter should be an interesting one. ^^ And it'll be the halfway mark for the book - mostly. God, I can't believe I'm almost halfway through the last book in EOTW, beyond novellas.


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun is beginning to set on the moor as three kits are locked in play...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Thirteen

     The sun was beginning to set on the dip in the moorland. Cats were milling around the camp, morosely sharing tongues and prey as the day wound to a close. Near the nursery, three kits were locked in play, squealing and growling as they wrestled over a feather. A light brown tabby stood nearby, watching over the kits with love in her eyes, but also with worry.

     None of them were aware of the cat lurking in the heather edging the camp, watching them all.

     The cat crouched low among the heather, her intense amber gaze fixed on the kits. The flame-colored tabby was pestering her littermates, growling playfully as she battered them with her paws, until the tiny black kit finally turned on her with an irritated snarl. The flame-colored kit bowled her over, and the black she-cat sprang back to her paws, throwing herself at the tabby with a growl. The large gray tom joined in on the game, growling playfully as he tugged on the ginger tabby's tail.

     As the kits tumbled in play, the cat watched their games with fierce hunger in her gaze. She dug her claws into the dirt, fighting to stay hidden where she was, when every instinct was screaming at her to tear out of the heather and race straight to the kits.

      _My kits..._

     Pain clawed at Scorch's heart as she watched her kits from afar. The Clans had taken her kits when they had thought she was dead. Now they were being raised by her enemies. For over three moons now, her kits had lived with WindClan, raised by the leader Heatherstar, the mother of Breeze's first litter. Scorch sank her claws into the ground, imagining that it was the light tabby pelt of Heatherstar. That cat had no right to stand there, watching Scorch's kits, like she was their mother. Their mother was still alive, and Scorch had no intention of letting her kits be raised by some sniveling, soft little Clan.

     Something softened in her as she gazed at the kits. Scorch had never thought very hard about whether she wanted kits. Once, she had cared for her family, but then they had betrayed her, and love had turned to hate. She had never felt real, deep love before. But now, looking at her kits, love ached inside of her for them. It didn't matter that she'd only had kits with Breeze to secure her position in his camp. It didn't matter that she had only cared about Breeze as far as he could further her ambitions. These kits were _hers_ , and she would kill any cat who tried to keep them from her.

     Over the last three moons, she had spied on the camp to see her kits as often as she dared. She'd learned the names of every cat in that camp, all of their scents, whatever weaknesses or strengths she could determine from what she observed, in case she needed to launch an attack. She had also learned the names that Heatherstar had given her kits; Ashkit, Eaglekit, and Firekit. But her kits were no Clan cats, and once she saved them from WindClan, they would join in her in conquest of the Society. They wouldn't have any warrior names.

     The gray tom would be Cloud. He had the same pale gray pelt as his mother, the same ashy gray as a cloudy sky. And if properly trained, he would become the clouds that would blot out the sun, and help Scorch to defeat her mother Sunny. The tiny black she-cat would be Magpie, after the black-and-white bird that should have poisoned Penny and won Scorch her place on the Council. And the flame-colored tabby would be Char. It was so hard to see how much the kit resembled her mother. Every time she looked at Char, she could see Sunny. But Char wouldn't betray her kin while hiding under the pretense of being a strong, guiding light like her mother had. She would be a force to burn down her enemies to the ground, to reduce any cat who stood in her way to char.

     Scorch watched as Heatherstar mewed something to the kits, then herded them into the nursery, fondness glowing in her eyes. More than anything, she wanted to tear Heatherstar's throat out, cut down any cat in her path, and take her kits far away from this place. But Shade had warned her that trying to take the kits would alert the Clans to Scorch's presence, and the advantage of surprise would be lost. The Clans would know that she was alive, and since she was the cat who had killed Ashstar and essentially served as Breeze's deputy, they would be relentless in hunting her down.

     While her argument made sense, Scorch knew that Shade had an ulterior motive in keeping Scorch away from her kits. Shade wanted to control Scorch, and the best way to do that was to keep her isolated, and to hold the promise of her kits over her head. Shade had already told her that any move Scorch made to get her kits back would be the end of Shade's cooperation with her. As much as Scorch wanted her kits back, she wasn't willing to risk losing Shade as an ally. There was too much that Shade could offer her. Reluctantly, Scorch turned away from the camp, slinking out of the heather and bounding away across the moor.

     As the sun finished setting, Scorch returned to her den, a small dip under a gorse bush. The Dark Forest cats had caught a hare for her earlier in the day, and it was still waiting in her nest when she returned. Most of the prey stolen from Clan territory was discarded, but they gave as much to Scorch as they could to keep her strong and fit for the battle to come. The rogue made quick work of devouring the hare, and once it was gone, she turned in for the night. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep.

     Shade was waiting for her in the Dark Forest as soon as she fell asleep. From the way the mist was vibrating, she wasn't happy. “You were there again, weren't you?” she growled, the mist pressing roughly against Scorch's pelt, her growl like the buzzing of angry bees. “You were spying on those kits.”

     “ _My_ kits,” Scorch corrected in a low growl. “And so what if I was? I have every right to check on their well-being.”

     The sound that Shade made sounded something like a scoff. “You know they're safe,” she sneered. “Those Clans are too spineless to do anything about harming kits.”

     “I'm not worried about them hurting my kits,” Scorch growled. “I'm worried about the sorts of ideas they're putting in their heads. They've been living in WindClan for three moons – who knows what sort of soft, mouse-brained ideals that Heatherstar has been pushing on them?”

     Shade gave a sharp, humorless laugh. “I think you'll find that any delay in getting your kits back is only your own fault, Scorch,” she said coldly.

     Scorch gave a frustrated lash of her tail, looking pointedly away. Over the last three moons, Shade had been pushing her for the one thing she wanted most; control of Scorch's body, to finally defeat the Spirit of Light. Scorch had delayed, wanting to build a basis of trust with Shade first, and wanting to weaken the Clans and weed out their numbers before making any attacks against them. Shade wanted Silentstorm dead before taking Scorch's body, so that Rock would have no one to possess before they killed him. Scorch had pressed for more time before preparing their attack on Silentstorm, but Shade's patience was clearly wearing thin.

     “We needed to weaken the Clans before making our attack,” Scorch growled, fixing a glare on the mist. “I think your Dark Forest cats proved well enough that just running in claws unsheathed doesn't work against the Clans.”

     Shade's mist quivered furiously at the insult. After a moment, she seemed to collect herself. “You're right,” she admitted coolly. “And you've done well in planning this attack. You organized the Dark Forest cats into a proper army, cutting off their resources and starving them out.” Cold amusement entered Shade's voice as she admitted, “Your gift for strategy has served me well.”

     Scorch lifted her chin. It had been her idea to go into the Dark Forest and talk to the cats there, to organize them into an army that could be used against the living Clans. She had been the one who had told them to hunt in Clan territory to cut off the Clans' food supply, and once greencough had started to spread, she had instructed them to destroy their supply of catmint. Now, under her orders, the Clans were being confined to their territory, and one of their warriors had been murdered to show the Clans the seriousness of trying to leave their territory. Greencough was spreading like wildfire through the Clans; without their herb supply, they would either be wiped out, or be left with so few cats that victory would be easy. But she got the feeling that Shade wasn't willing to wait much longer.

     “If we wait longer, we can cut down their numbers significantly without risking a single Dark Forest cat,” she mewed stiffly.

     The mist pressed more firmly against her sides, boxing her in. “And if we wait any longer, we risk Silentstorm realizing the danger and allowing Rock to possess her before we have a chance to kill her,” Shade hissed in Scorch's ear. “It's been three moons, and I am running out of patience. I want that little blind menace _dead_.”

     Scorch gave a frustrated snarl, her patience frayed. “And I want my kits back!” she snapped, her hackles flying up. “I want that wretched Society under my claws, and I want to feel Sunny's fur tear under my fangs.” She jerked her chin up, growling, “You have your own end of the bargain to keep up, remember? And I get the feeling that you need my help a lot more than I need yours.”

     “Ah, but you _do_ need my help, if you ever want to rule that precious Society of yours,” Shade sneered. “Without me, you have no followers, no influence... and no kits.” Scorch stiffened, her hackles bristling. “Do you honestly think you can launch a one-cat assault on an entire Clan and get away with your kits? You'd be killed before you got anywhere near the nursery.”

     The rogue turned away with a frustrated growl. Cruel, clattering laughter sounded from the mist. “Face it, Scorch. You need me. And my offer won't be standing for much longer.” After a brief pause, she spoke again, all amusement gone. “I want Silentstorm dead in three days' time. If you have not made any progress in that direction by that time, the deal will be off, and you're on your own. Try rescuing your precious kits then.”

     Panic seized Scorch's heart. She could tell by Shade's tone that the spirit wasn't joking. If Shade called off the deal, then Scorch had no hope rescuing her kits or taking over the Society on her own. This was the best chance she would ever have at having the influence to take over the Society. And if she waited much longer to take her kits back from WindClan, they would be too old to sway back to her side. She had no other choice. As little as she wanted to surrender all control of herself to Shade, it was the only option she had to keep her influence over the Dark Forest.

     She dug her claws into the ground. “How do I know I can trust you to keep your end of the bargain?” she spat out between gritted teeth. “How do I know you'd even let me go after you use me to kill Rock?.” That was the true fear that had haunted her, for all of these moons. Any trust she would be putting into Shade would be completely blind. She had no way of knowing whether Shade would let her live once this was all over, let alone whether she would help her seek her revenge and save her kits. Scorch had pushed Shade to fulfill her end of the bargain first, but to no avail.

     A cold chuckle emitted from the mist. “You don't,” she answered bluntly. “But the truth of the matter is, you don't have any better options.” The mist rolled against Scorch's pelt, Shade's voice becoming a soothing purr. “What use would I have for your body after the battle is won? Once I take Rock's power, I'll be able to make whatever body I want; I'll hardly need to be confined to yours. And what point would there be in killing you? You spread darkness wherever you go – that gives me power. As for your Society... well, I'll be releasing dark spirits all over the world when this is done. One way or another, your Society will suffer.”

      _But what about my kits?_ The question burned in Scorch's mind, but she knew better than to ask it again. Shade had said all that she was going to say. Well, she supposed it didn't matter. If Shade let her live, she would do whatever it took to get her kits back. This was her only chance to get her revenge; she had to take it. No matter the consequences.

     “Very well,” she growled. “I'll go talk to the top Dark Forest cats now, and we'll start planning an attack on ThunderClan. Silentstorm will be as weak as her Clanmates from the lack of prey, even if she hasn't caught greencough. With every cat zeroing in on her, she won't stand a chance.”

     “Make sure that she doesn't,” Shade responded coldly. The mist began to fade away, until there was nothing left but the usual fog of the Dark Forest. Scorch sniffed around for a moment to make sure Shade was really gone, then began walking away, padding further into the Dark Forest.

     It didn't take the rogue long to reach her destination. After three moons of working together with the Dark Forest cats, she knew where most of them made their nests. The black tom was lying on a pile of rotting leaves, sharpening his fangs on a moldy stick when Scorch arrived, but the sound of Scorch's paws made her look up. His amber gaze narrowed as he recognized the she-cat. “Scorch,” he greeted shortly, pushing himself onto his paws. “What can I do for you?”

     Scorch held herself stiffly, her chin lifted as she looked down at the tom. Once, this cat had served as her leader. She hadn't liked him very much, but she had respected his strength and cleverness, as he had respected her. But now, he was dead, and she was calling the shots. “There's been a new development, Breeze,” she growled, making sure the authority in her tone was clear. “We're attacking ThunderClan's camp in two days' time.”

     Breeze's gaze sharpened with interest. “Such a rush,” he sneered, a mocking edge to his mew. “What's got your tail in a twist, then? Embarrassed that they chased you away from the last battle?”

     The rogue pulled herself to her full height, pulling her lips back to flash her fangs. She knew that Breeze didn't appreciate the swap in their dynamic, or having to take orders from her. But former leader or not, she would tolerate no disrespect from him. “Get your allies ready,” she growled. “This is your chance to make up for your pathetic defeat in the Dark Battle, and the Code's Battle.” She felt a twinge of satisfaction at the anger in Breeze's eyes, enjoying the feeling of ordering around the cat who had once given her orders. “I'll alert the other higher-ups. Pass the news on to as many cats as you can, and make sure they're all ready to move out by sunset on the second day.”

     Breeze curled his lip, looking displeased. But as little as he liked it, he knew full well what Scorch's authority was. None of the Dark Forest cats had ever seen or spoken with Shade, but they all sensed her presence, and her power. They knew that Scorch was her messenger; they knew that disobedience to her was disobedience to Shade, and would be swiftly punished. “Very well,” the tom sneered. “I'll alert the others.” He slunk away, lashing his tail.

     Scorch watched him leave with narrowed eyes. She had enough cats at her command to overwhelm ThunderClan completely. They didn't stand a chance. But as long as Silentstorm ended up dead, she didn't care what happened to the rest of the Clan. Her grudge wasn't with the Clans; it never had been. Destroying them had only ever been a means to an end.

     Silentstorm was one of the few that she had an actual grudge against, as she had been the one to nearly kill Silentstorm three moons ago. But as much as Scorch would enjoy tearing Silentstorm's throat open, her death would only be in the service of Shade. When the battle was over and won, her true revenge could begin. She would be able to win her kits back, raise them and love them properly, and help them to win back the Society that they would one day inherit from her. They would be a truer family to her than Sunny and Sniff had ever been. And if they truly did betray her... well, they would pay the same price as the rest of her family. Everything was finally going to work in Scorch's favor.

      _Enjoy the next few days, Silentstorm,_ Scorch thought as she started off into the Dark Forest again. _They will be your last._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, is this the halfway mark already? Jeez, I'm not ready for this book to be over yet. D: It's going by too fast. I've been writing this fanfic for almost five years... and it'll probably be the last major fanfic I ever work on before moving onto original content... and college is almost over... I'm not ready for all of this. It just feels like it's all coming really fast.
> 
> Anyway, all that complaining aside, here's a familiar POV. ^^ We get to see what Scorch and Shade have been up to all of this time. Scorch has been trying to delay her possession, but it seems that time is almost up, and an attack is imminent. And we also learn Scorch's names for her kits. ^^ If you're confused about any of Scorch's references to a Society and to her family, read my novellas Sushi's Society and Scorch's Ambition, they explain all about Scorch's backstory.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV, and it should be interesting. ^^ I'll try to get it done soon, but we'll see. I might want to slow down a bit... I don't want to just rush through the end of this book.


	16. Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ThunderClan patrol goes hunting...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Fourteen

     “Nice catch!”

     The tiny gray she-cat looked up, a shrew dangling from her jaws. “Thanks!” she purred around the mouthful of fur. She approached Blazeheart, bumping her muzzle against his chin in an affectionate gesture. “It's not the plumpest thing, but maybe Wrenkit can share it with Silentstorm's kits.”

     Blazeheart gave a small purr, giving Ambertalon a quick, affectionate lick on top of her head. Even as he purred, however, worried pricked at his heart, and Ambertalon's eyes still glowed with sadness. Prey had gotten so scarce that some of the queens had been recruited into hunting patrols. Ambertalon had chosen to join Blazeheart's hunting patrol later in the day, leaving Wrenkit to be looked after by Silentstorm. Duskpaw, Skystripe, and Foxpaw were on the patrol as well, waiting behind Blazeheart as Ambertalon returned with her prey.

     “At least one of us has caught something,” Skystripe grumbled, lashing his tail with frustration. His voice was still rough from coughing, but the tom had been one of the lucky cats to recover from his whitecough without the aid of catmint. “I haven't scented as much as a mouse since we left camp. And it would certainly help to train my apprentice if there was actually any prey around to hunt.” He gave Foxpaw a sideways glance, his eyes narrowed.

     Foxpaw gave a nervous hop, startled, her tail flicking anxiously behind her. “I'm sorry about earlier,” she apologized immediately. “I really thought that was a bird I saw moving, not a leaf blowing in the wind.”

     Skystripe just shrugged in response. Blazeheart shared an uneasy glance with Ambertalon. Foxpaw was the spitting image of her father, Foxleap, but she seemed to have none of his confidence or cheer. Three moons into her training, she was still clumsy and often made mistakes, and she grew anxious and stuttered over any mistake she made. Blazeheart had a feeling that her mentor didn't improve her anxiety very much. Skystripe was a impulsive, smug, and often grumpy warrior, and seemed highly critical as a mentor. Foxpaw was tripping over herself trying to please him, but he rarely seemed to praise her, and was impatient with her mistakes.

     “Even if the bird wasn't real, that was a great pounce!” Duskpaw assured the younger apprentice. She gave Foxpaw a friendly nudge with her shoulder, then threw a quick glare at Skystripe. The blunt apprentice made no secret of her regard for her denmates mentor. “If you really look just like your father, it's no wonder they called him Fox _leap_ , if he could leap like that too. Next time, when there's a real bird, it won't stand a chance!”

     Foxpaw gave her friend a small purr of thanks, but seemed to shrink back when Duskpaw mentioned her father. Blazeheart watched the apprentice, feeling a brush of concern. _What was that about?_

     “I just hope there's enough time after hunting tomorrow to practice some battle moves,” Duskpaw chattered on, as talkative as ever. “I really want to practice that roll and swipe move some more, I didn't feel like I really got it down last time. There's been so many hunting patrols lately, it feels like there's never any time to practice fighting anymore. I know why we have to keep hunting, but if there's a battle, how are we going to be ready for it?”

     “You could always talk the enemy to death,” Skystripe grumbled.

     Blazeheart shot a glare at the younger warrior. “Or maybe your attitude will be enough to send them running,” he snapped back. As a cat raised partly by Jayfeather, he could take a lot of snark and sarcasm, but insults to his apprentice was where he drew the line. Skystripe glared at Blazeheart for a few moments, lashing his tail, but didn't respond.

     Duskpaw didn't seem to have noticed the insult. She was still chattering, explaining the battle move to Foxpaw, who listened with a patient, amused expression. Blazeheart felt a rush of fondness for his mouse-brained, stubborn apprentice. She could be a pain in the tail sometimes, but she was a quick learner, and he was glad that she had befriended her nervous denmate. Hopefully, the tortoiseshell's encouragement would help Foxpaw gain more confidence.

**SCENEBREAK**

     They stayed out hunting until the sun was beginning to set. When they returned to camp, all they had to show for it was Ambertalon's shrew and a half-starved robin that Skystripe snagged out of mid-air. Frustration pricked at Blazeheart's paws as they padded into camp. So many cats would go without prey tonight, and he had done nothing to help feed them. Some great hunter he was.

     Things had taken a grim turn the last four days, since Willowkit had died. Brightheart had died the very next night, and Rosepetal had followed after her two days later. Though Skystripe and Robinkit had been lucky enough to recover from whitecough on their own, Beetlepaw and Molefoot had caught whitecough, and Lilyfrost's whitecough had turned to greencough. Every day, more cats became sick, and it seemed like there was no way to cure them. Blazeheart had never felt so hopeless before.

     He settled beside the fallen tree, Ambertalon joining him after a few moments. Neither cat would eat tonight; the little prey that was left would be given to the kits and elders first. Blazeheart only hoped there would be enough to eat in the morning; he was exhausted from the constant hunting and lack of prey. If he didn't have something to eat soon, he didn't know if he was going to have the strength to keep hunting.

     The two cats began sharing tongues, chatting quietly and grooming each other. Though Ambertalon tried to act as cheerful as ever on the hunt, now she letting her grief and exhaustion show. She had only lost her father Cloudtail four moons ago, and now her mother was gone too. The couple had already been elderly when they'd had Ambertalon and her littermates, so it hadn't been totally unexpected, but Blazeheart knew it had still been a hard blow. He pressed his muzzle against her cheek as she sighed, trying to comfort her.

     For a moment, he wondered whether Snowfall would join them. It felt like moons since he'd really gotten to spend time with his best friend, since he'd become so busy with raising his daughter and hunting for the Clan, and Brightheart's death had to be hitting him hard too. But as he scanned the camp for the white pelt of Snowfall, he spotted him sitting beside Cosima. With a brush of surprise, he noticed how Snowfall's gaze was filled with warmth, and how Cosima's paw brushed against Snowfall's. His whiskers twitched. Even if things were looking bad for ThunderClan, it seemed that Snowfall was managing to find some happiness.

     “ _Ree-ee-owr!_ ” Without any warning, cats began flooding into the camp, screeching a battle cry. Blazeheart and Ambertalon were on their paws in an instant, pelts fluffed out in shock, as the intruders fell upon their Clanmates. Blazeheart was immediately bowled over by a large black tom, while Ambertalon was tackled by a silver tabby and tumbled away. The tom's yellow-green eyes burned with hatred as he bit down on Blazeheart's shoulder. The tabby shrieked, fighting to dislodge his opponent, his mind a whirlwind of confusion. _Where in StarClan did these cats come from?_

     When the tom's stench hit Blazeheart's nose, he finally recognized him. “Smoke!” he gasped, shock sparking through his pelt. The last time he has seen the former ShadowClan warrior, he had been lying beside Toadfoot, the two toms dead with the effort of killing each other. He had been a ShadowClan traitor who died defending Breezes camp. _He must be a Dark Forest cat now!_ Blazeheart realized. _The Dark Forest is attacking!_

     “ThunderClan, attack!” Blazeheart looked up to see Bramblestar leaping down from the High Ledge, Squirrelflight right on his heels. The tom's amber eyes were blazing with fury as he fell upon three Dark Forest cats. “Defend the nursery and the elder's den! Drive them through the brambles!”

     Blazeheart struggled to rip free from Smoke's grasp, but the black tom had a strong grip on Blazeheart's shoulders. Lack of food had made all of the Clan cats weak, but the Dark Forest cats had no need to eat, and were as strong as ever. With a rush of horror, Blazeheart realized that his Clanmates were outnumbered, and more cats were still streaming into the camp.

     Smoke suddenly pulled his fangs off of Blazeheart's shoulder, giving a wail of pain. Blazeheart scrambled to his paws as Smoke reared back, snarling in rage. To Blazeheart's surprise, Duskpaw was clinging to Smoke's back, snarling as she bit down on his neck fur. As Smoke fought to throw the apprentice off, Blazeheart lunged at the tom, delivering a series of blows to his muzzle to confuse him, before dodging neatly out of the way when Smoke struck out blindly at him. With a howl, Smoke managed to finally throw Duskpaw off, fleeing into the chaos of the battle.

     Blazeheart stood panting, feeling the sting of his wounds. Duskpaw had a nasty slice on her flank, but her eyes were blazing with the joy of battle. “Well, that's one less fleabag to worry about!” she growled, giving a fierce lash of her tail. She glanced at Blazeheart, amusement lighting her gaze for a moment. “Never thought I'd see the day when you needed your apprentice to save you. Getting soft in your old age, Blazeheart?”

     “More like you're getting to be a stronger fighter,” Blazeheart mewed sincerely. He gave a quick shake of his head, growling, “Now come on, our Clan needs us!” He raced off into the battle, Duskpaw right behind him.

     He was about to attack a scrawny she-cat when he saw another familiar face. A massive gray she-cat was leading a group of Dark Forest cats across the camp, her gaze determined. _Scorch!_ The she-cat had been mortally wounded by Silentstorm during the Code's Battle. She must have died and come to the Dark Forest.

     Sudden fear clawed at his heart as they started heading for the nursery. _Wrenkit!_ He took off for nursery, lunging at Scorch and barreling into her side. She turned on him with a vicious snarl, bringing her claws crashing down on Blazeheart's side. He twisted away, but not fast enough, and her claws were able to catch his flanks. With a snarl of pain, he ducked down, grabbing the she-cat's paw in his jaws. As his nose was flooded with her scent, he realized with a shock that she didn't carry the rotting stench of the Dark Forest. Her pelt smelled of moorland and heather, with hints of twolegplace underneath. He couldn't see through her pelt, like many of the Dark Forest cats, and he could see a scar on her neck where Silentstorm would have struck her. He froze, shock flooding through his veins. _She's still alive!_

     While he was distracted by his shock, Scorch threw him to the side with a mighty swipe of her paw. He landed hard on his shoulder, groaning as he tried to push back onto his paws. His blood froze as Scorch and the Dark Forest cats following her pushed through into the nursery. “No!” he cried, scrambling to his paws and sprinting after them.

     It was total chaos inside the nursery when he arrived. Lightningstrike was nowhere to be seen; instead, Sorreltail and Hazeltail were defending her kits from the invaders, their pelts fluffed up to twice their usual size, and eyes blazing with fury. Dewfrost was facing two Dark Forest cats, fighting like all of TigerClan to defend kits that weren't even from her Clan. Spiderleg was swiping furiously at a black-and-white tom, back arched in fury.

     Silentstorm had backed her kits into a corner, and was defending them with the might of LionClan, roaring her fury as she took on three cats. Scorch was at the head of them, her expression determined and focused as she bore down on the blind queen. She was vicious as she struck and bit, but Silentstorm gave back as good as she got, eyes blazing with fury. Jaykit and Screechkit cowered behind their mother, eyes wide with shock and terror.

     Blazeheart's gaze flew around the den, until he was finally able to spot his daughter. Terror surged through him when he saw a black-and-orange tom standing over his daughter, who was cowering in terror. Blazeheart bounded towards his daughter, only to slow as the tom swayed for a moment, then came crashing to the ground. Ambertalon was standing in front of him, her gaze full of cold fury as she stared at the tom's body. As Blazeheart neared, he saw that the tom's throat had been torn open, and Ambertalon's claws were drenched in his blood. The tom's image wavered for a moment, yellow eyes glazed over with death, before fading away like mist.

     A shudder ran through Blazeheart. _So that's what it looks like when you kill a Dark Forest cat,_ he thought, his stomach churning.

     His horror only distracted for for a moment. He turned back to his daughter, sniffing her pelt all over. “Are you alright?” he demanded, panic seizing him. “Did he hurt you?”

     “I'm fine,” Wrenkit insisted. Her mew trembled a little, but she didn't waver, wriggling away from her father's concerned sniffing. “Ambertalon got him before he could claw me.” There was a tinge of fear in her mew as she explained, and her tail trembled as she glanced at where the black-and-orange tom's body had lain.

     Blazeheart felt a stab of pity for his daughter. She had just seen her mother kill a cat in front of her. “It's alright, darling,” he murmured, pressing his muzzle to her cheek. “We'll keep you safe.”

     “There's more coming,” Ambertalon warned in a low growl. Blazeheart glanced up, his blood freezing as more cats poured into the nursery. Cats were tearing gashes in the nursery to get inside, flooding inside like rats. To Blazeheart's surprise, the cats ignored most of the queens, and began heading straight for Silentstorm. The blind queen was ducking and weaving and striking with the speed of ten warriors, but she was still weak from lack of prey, and she was beginning to slow.

     Blazeheart only hesitated for a moment. “Stay with Wrenkit!” he told Ambertalon, bounding off towards his sister. He hooked his claws into the pelt of a gray-and-white she-cat, dragging her away from Silentstorm with a snarl. The she-cat whirled on him instead, trying to dislodge the tabby, but Blazeheart wrapped his forelegs around her neck, keeping her away from his sister.

     The other queens and elders in the nursery also jumped into the fight to defend Silentstorm. Hazeltail bit down on the leg of a tortoiseshell, Dewfrost tackled a ginger tabby, and Sorreltail lunged at a dark gray tabby. Blazeheart snarled at the gray-and-white she-cat, swiping her hard across the muzzle before turning to a ginger-and-white tabby and biting down on his tail. They were drawing cats away from Silentstorm, but the focus was clearly still on her.

     Silentstorm snarled as she dodged a blow from Scorch's paw, her lips curling in a sneer. “So, Shade's little plaything came to pay me a visit, did she?” the queen sneered, lashing her tail. Though her tone was scornful, Blazeheart could see her fear in the bristling of her hackles. “I wondered what you were planning with her, but I didn't think she'd be willing to risk her precious fighter in a battle like this.”

     Scorch snorted. “I can take care of myself,” she growled. She came around to snap at Silentstorm's flank, but Silentstorm had already whirled away, kicking out at Scorch's muzzle with one hind paw. Another cat tried to come at her from another side, but Hazeltail snapped her jaws down on his tail, dragging him away. Blazeheart heard more cats trying to come into the nursery, but there were snarls from the warriors outside, and they fled with shrieks. “And I think it will be easier for us if you're dead before this all moves forward.”

     “Over my dead body!” Blazeheart snarled, filled with rage. He didn't know who Shade was, or what these two were talking about, but he could see that these cats had come here for his sister. He tried to reach Scorch, but a black-and-white tom blocked his path, snarling. Blazeheart lunged at the tom, trying to wrap his forelegs around his neck, but the tom twisted away and brought his head sharply up against Blazeheart's chin. Blazeheart pulled back with a snarl of pain.

     There were so many cats in the nursery now that there seemed like there was no room to fight. Warriors were flooding into the den now too, determined to protect the queens now that the nursery was the center of the attack. Blazeheart noticed Lightfoot pushing his way into the den, eyes wide with terror. Silentstorm gave Scorch a hard hit to the jaw, then called her mate over, gesturing to their kits. “Stay with the kits,” she growled. “It's me they want – if I leave the nursery, they'll follow me, and the kits will be safe with you.”

     Fear flooded Lightfoot's gaze, but after a moment he gave a small nod. As he moved in front of their daughters, Silentstorm took off through the throng of cats, roaring, “Come and get me, mousehearts!” With a furious snarl, Scorch took off after her, many cats following the blind queen as she burst out of the den. Blazeheart dislodged the black-and-white tom, then took off after his sister, pushing out of the den.

     When he came out into the main hollow Silentstorm had disappeared in the chaos of the battle. Lionblaze was in front of the nursery, his pelt fluffed out in fury. He whirled on Blazeheart with a snarl, only to relax as he recognized his son. “Oh thank StarClan!” he gasped, rushing over and sniffing his pelt. “Are you alright? Are the kits safe? We saw cats breaking into the nursery, and we've been trying to keep them out.”

     “The kits are fine,” Blazeheart assured his father. “Ambertalon and Lightfoot are staying with them.”

     Lionblaze sighed. “Thank StarClan,” he breathed. As he turned away to glance at the battle, Blazeheart noticed with shock that his pelt was covered with gashes and cuts.

     Blazeheart stiffened, staring at his father's pelt in shock. “I thought you couldn't get hurt in battle!” he gasped, feeling his pelt begin to tremble.

     The massive tabby looked at his son, his expression serious. “I can't be hurt in most battles, yes,” he corrected Blazeheart. “But my powers only extend to the living. Dead cats can still hurt me.”

     Horror crept through Blazeheart's pelt. _No one is safe from these cats, and our most powerful fighter can't use his power against them._ He could feel his paws trembling, the true horror of this battle sinking in. He'd always thought his father was invincible; to see him now, as vulnerable as any mortal cat, was terrifying.

     Lionblaze's growl broke Blazeheart from his stunned haze. “Come on,” he growled, lashing his tail. “Our Clanmates need us!”

     The massive tabby raced into battle. Blazeheart followed behind him, tackling a white tom with a snarl. All around him, cats were locked in battle. Finchwing was fighting like TigerClan in front of the elder's den, defending his greencough patients. Lightningstrike was beside him, fury blazing in her eyes. “I won't let you hurt her!” she shrieked, swiping one tom hard across the muzzle. Bramblestar was fighting side by side with Shadowstripe, the two massive tabbies bearing down on their enemies with furious snarls. Ivypool was battling furiously with three cats, using every bit of the ferocity the Dark Forest had taught her against them, while her kits fought nearby.

     Some of the elders and queens had been drawn out of the nursery. Sorreltail was in front of the nursery, defending the entrance from cats trying to break in. She shrieked furiously as a dark gray tabby lunged at her, dodging a blow from his paw. Blazeheart recognized the tabby as Darkstripe. “You! You killed Daisy!” she shrieked, eyes blazing with fury. “This time, I'm not letting you get away!”

     The two cats were locked in a furious battle, shrieking and whirling and slashing. For a moment, Blazeheart lost sight of them in the battle. When he spotted them again, they had pulled apart, gasping from their wounds. Darkstripe gasped for air a few times, his eyes bugging with terror, before he slumped to the ground. His outline wavered a few times, then he faded away completely, leaving a pool of blood behind him. To Blazeheart's horror, Sorreltail slumped beside him, her throat gushing with blood. Her eyes were already glazed over with death.

     Blazeheart managed to drive off the white tom with a final bite, but as he looked around him, he quickly realized how badly ThunderClan was losing. Every cat was outnumbered, most were already injured, and all of them were weak from lack of prey. Badgercloud stumbled as he defended the elder's den from a gray tabby, his nose running and his eyes glazed over with fever, and Toadstep seemed barely conscious as a black tom cornered him. Snowfall and Cosima were fighting together, guarding each other's backs, but Snowfall had a nasty gash on his side, and Cosima had a cut above her eyes that was spilling blood and blocking her vision. Molefoot was sprawled out on the ground some fox-lengths away, throat torn open and eyes staring sightlessly at the sky.

     A nearby snarl of rage caught Blazeheart's attention. He saw Cinderheart and Lionblaze fighting side by side, but they were quickly being overwhelmed, the Dark Forest cats dragging them away from each other. With a snarl, he raced to his mother's side, dragging a brown-and-white tabby off of her. Mother and son fought back to back, keeping each other guarded as they met the attacks of the Dark Forest cats. “Nice timing!” Cinderheart called to her son, growling as she struck a scrawny tom across the muzzle. “Are the kits safe?”

     “I left them with Ambertalon,” he answered, ducking down to trip a she-cat's front legs from under her. “They were fine when I left.”

     “Good!” They kept up the fight, sticking back to back, until a nearby shriek distracted them. Blazeheart froze in horror when he saw the source of it. Lionblaze was being swarmed by Dark Forest cats, far too many for any cat to fight against. He fought like LionClan, moving faster and hitting stronger than seemed possible, but the sheer number of cats managed to weigh him down to the ground. He gave a shriek as one cat sank her fangs into his neck.

     “ _No!_ ” Out of nowhere, a brown blur slammed into the cat, taking her to the ground and throwing her off of Lionblaze. “You will not take my son from me!”

     Blazeheart stiffened as he recognized Leafpool. The usually gentle medicine cat was _furious,_ amber eyes blazing with hatred, back arched and bristling from head to toe. She snarled viciously as she began tearing cats off of her son, drawing their attention to her. As Lionblaze struggled to his paws, Leafpool was facing a black tom, striking her claws down across his face. Without warning, a white tom came from behind her, grabbing her throat in his jaws. Lionblaze lunged at him with a roar of fury, but even as the tom dropped Leafpool, it was too late. Her throat was pouring out blood, and her amber eyes were glazed over. The white tom let her body fall to the ground, scrambling away as Lionblaze chased him with a roar. She didn't stir.

     Blazeheart froze in shock. Halfway across the camp, Squirrelflight gave a wail of loss. There were so many cats blocking her from Leafpool, she couldn't have possibly seen her death. But she was stumbling away from the fight with eyes glazed over with shock, pain, and grief as though she had. Lionblaze was fighting like StarClan to avenge his mother, fury blazing in his eyes, and Cinderheart left Blazeheart to join her mate in the attack. But it was clear that they were sorely outnumbered.

      _Oh StarClan, how could this happen?_ Blazeheart wanted to wail aloud from the loss. Their medicine cat, and his father's mother, was dead, and so were Sorreltail and Molefoot. The rest of his Clanmates were either struggling against too many enemies to fight, or stumbling from their injuries. _We can't win this fight._

     A deep, booming yowl rose above the chaotic cries of battle. “ThunderClan, retreat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's Scorch's attack on the camp. ^^ Sorry for not attaching a "be ready for feels" warning on the end of last chapter. I forgot which cats I'd been planning to kill. :P
> 
> Brightheart was led to StarClan by her mate Cloudtail. She doesn't have any of her scars in StarClan, including the bald patch on her face, and she has both ears and both eyes in StarClan.  
> Rosepetal was led to StarClan by her mother Daisy.  
> Sorreltail was led to StarClan by her mate Brackenfur.  
> Molefoot was led to StarClan by his mate Rosepetal.  
> Leafpool was led to StarClan by Crowfeather. I feel like he's maybe mates with both Feathertail and Leafpool in StarClan, like in StarClan that sort of jealousy over mates doesn't exist, so cats can walk with all of the mates they had in life with no conflict. What do you think, does that sound right? Or should I have him choose? Either way, whenever Nightcloud dies, she will not be included in that because she and Crowfeather were never happy together.
> 
> That's a fair few dead cats for one chapter. ^^ Sorry about that, but I definitely wanted Scorch's attack to have some consequences for ThunderClan, if they felt desperate enough to retreat. I only came up with the idea to kill Leapfool in this battle recently. Since this is one of the few times Lionblaze would be in real peril, and she had already suffered the loss of her two other children and most of her family, it made sense of have her die defending him, desperate not to lose him like she had already lost so much of her family. Finchwing is now the full medicine cat of ThunderClan.
> 
> I'm not sure if they ever directly stated that Lionblaze can be hurt by dead cat. But I think he's gotten hurt in Dark Forest training sessions with Tigerstar and Hawkfrost, and I think he might have gotten hurt in the Dark Battle. So my interpretation is that, while he's still a ridiculously strong fighter against Dark Forest cats, he can in fact be hurt by them. If that's wrong, I apologize, but I think the canon supports that idea well enough.
> 
> The cat that Ambertalon killed was meant to be someone specific. Someone from the canon books, who died but it wasn't confirmed where he went after death, but due to his actions I decided he went to the Dark Forest. See if you can guess who. ^^ I wanted to show how fierce a fighter Ambertalon can be, and how she's willing to do whatever it takes to defend her kit without any regret. Plus, how awesome and powerful she is. ^^
> 
> Next chapter will be in Silentstorm's POV. There was more stuff that was supposed to happen in this chapter, but I think it should fit into next chapter without too much fuss.


	17. Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bramblestar orders ThunderClan to retreat.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Fifteen

      _“ThunderClan, retreat!”_

     Silentstorm lifted her head, straining her ears to try and hear Bramblestar's yowl over the chaotic cries of battle. She was being swarmed by Dark Forest cats, with Scorch at their head. Her Clanmates were pulling some of the Dark Forest cats away from her, but no matter how many were pulled away, there always seemed to be more to take their place.

     While Silentstorm was distracted by Bramblestar's call, Scorch took advantage of her distraction. The rogue tackled her to the ground, snarling in her ear. Without a word, she sank her fangs into Silentstorm's neck, biting down hard. Silentstorm shrieked. She thrashed and fought to get loose, but Scorch had her shoulders pinned, and another cat was pinning her hindquarters. Agony surged through her pelt as Scorch bit down harder and harder.

     “Leave her alone!” Suddenly, Scorch was pulled off of Silentstorm. The blind queen gasped for air, struggling to understand what was going on around her. It was Shadowstripe who had snarled, and she could hear him bearing down furiously on Scorch, whirling and slashing with all of the speed and strength Silentstorm had taught him. Scorch snarled in frustration, but Shadowstripe blocked her every time she tried to break for Silentstorm.

     Silentstorm managed to throw off the other cat holding her down, then scrambled to her paws and took off. Every instinct screamed at her to go check on her kits, but she knew that these cats were here for her. Running to her kits would only bring the Dark Forest cats to them – and Lightfoot would take good care of them.

     As she made a break for the bramble entrance, she caught a familiar scent. “Silentstorm!” Blazeheart raced over to her, Wrenkit swinging from his jaws. “Come on, our Clanmates are leaving!” Silentstorm gave a brisk nod in response. She fell in beside her brother, following their Clanmates as they began pouring out of the bramble entrance.

     Paws were thundering along the ground, sounds jumbling together as ThunderClan fled their home. Silentstorm stuck close to Blazeheart as they pushed past the bramble entrance, following her Clanmates as they fled towards the lake. But the snarls of the Dark Forest cats weren't far behind, and everything was thrown into confusion as the Dark Forest cats broke through the bramble entrance and gave chase to the warriors. Silentstorm heard Russetpaw's shriek as a tom snapped at her tail, and two cats were able to herd Graypaw and Stormpaw away from their mentors. Blinded by panic, ThunderClan began to scatter.

     Nearby growling alerted Silentstorm to the danger behind her. She veered off into the forest, hearing the snarls and thundering paws of Dark Forest cats behind her. Blazeheart fell in beside her, Duskpaw right on his heels. A few moments later, Lilyfrost scrambled after her Clanmates, shrieking as Dark Forest cats snapped at her tail. The blind queen tore through the forest, pushing herself to go as fast as her paws could carry her, but she could feel herself slowing. It had been a hard battle, with every cat aiming for her throat, and it was starting to take its toll on her. She couldn't keep running for much longer.

     Suddenly, an idea came to her. “There's an old fox den near the WindClan border!” she hissed to Blazeheart. “Take Wrenkit and the others and go there. I'll distract them, then I'll come and join you.”

     “It's too dangerous!” Blazeheart protested over a mouthful of Wrenkit's fur. “You can't fight them on your own!”

     Silentstorm growled, “I won't. But they're here for me, and if I run, they'll follow me. Just go!”

     Without another word, she broke off from the rest of the group, ignoring the surprised meows behind her. As she'd predicted, the Dark Forest cats ignored her Clanmates and followed after her. She pushed herself even faster, ducking and weaving through the snowy undergrowth. Exhausted or not, she knew this forest as well as her own pelt. _If I can just get away somewhere..._

     Her chance finally came as she led her pursuers to a thick patch of brambles. An idea came to her; she put on an extra burst of speed, trying to put as much distance between herself and her pursuers as possible. She pushed through the brambles, then veered sharply to the side, scrambling into a dip in the ground under a large rock. Ivypool had trained her here, once, when she was showing Silentstorm places in the forest where she could hide in search of prey. She only hoped that the snow, which had turned hard and icy the last few days, wouldn't show her tracks.

     A few moments later, the Dark Forest cats burst through the brambles, slowing to a halt. “Where did she go?” one cat demanded in a snarl. Silentstorm's chest felt like it was going to burst from the effort of her run, and her legs were trembling with exhaustion. But she forced herself to stay completely still. She held her breath, staying low and keeping her eyes closed, just like Ivypool had taught her. _“If you cover your stripe, and keep your eyes closed, the enemy will never see you. You don't need your eyes to fight, so don't use them unless you have to. ”_ They wouldn't see the reflection of her eyes; she only hoped that her white stripe wouldn't be visible in the shadow of the rock.

     Another cat growled, “She can't have gotten far. Keep looking!” Silentstorm heard pawsteps as the Dark Forest cats spread out, searching for her. She held her breath, feeling her pelt tremble as one cat passed right in front of her. But none of them seemed to notice her hiding place. After what felt like moons, one of the Dark Forest cats called them off, and they bounded away into the snow. Silentstorm finally let out the breath she'd been holding. _They're gone._

     Silentstorm waited a long time after their pawsteps faded before moving. Every muscle in her body screamed with pain as she shifted slightly, agony searing through each of her wounds. There was a nasty gash on her back that had her hips feeling stiff, and she felt like she could barely move her tail or neck. She tried to push herself to her paws, only to fall back to her belly with a whimper of pain. Her head felt light, and her lungs were burning from the effort of her run.

     While she waited to get her breath back, she began grooming herself, cleaning her wounds as best as she could. The attack on the camp had been one of the hardest battles she'd faced. Everywhere she turned, a new enemy struck, all of them determined to kill the Silent One. Silentstorm had guessed that the Dark Forest had been stealing prey and catmint in an attempt to weaken her, or even kill her, before Rock could possess her. But she hadn't seen the battle coming. _How could I have been so blind?_

     It had taken every ounce of her concentration and training to keep herself alive. Even then, she would have failed, if her Clanmates hadn't come to her rescue. They had fought so bravely against the rogues, drawing as many cats' attention away from Silentstorm as possible, but it still hadn't been enough. ThunderClan had been driven from their home once again, Silentstorm had been separated from her Clan, and worst of all, three of her Clanmates were dead. Even more might be dead that she didn't know about, now that she had lost track of them all. _Lightfoot... my kits..._ Despair threatened to overwhelm the queen. _How will I forgive myself if I've lost them?_

     Finally, after painstakingly grooming her entire pelt, Silentstorm felt strong enough to try and walk. She crawled out from under the rock, carefully stretching her legs. She almost swayed off of her paws, but after a few moments, she managed to regain her balance. Carefully, the warrior began limping away from the rock, setting off towards the WindClan border.

     All was quiet as the queen made her painfully slow way to the abandoned fox den. She kept expecting Dark Forest cats to leap out and attack, but she didn't come across any before finally reaching the den. As she limped slowly towards the den, there were paws thundering towards her, and suddenly a cat was bumping their head against her shoulder. “You're alive!” Duskpaw exclaimed, mew bright with joy. “StarClan, I never thought you'd get away with that many cats chasing you!”

     “Keep it down!” came a hiss from within the den. Blazeheart bounded out of the den, racing to his sister's side and pressing his muzzle against her neck. “Thank StarClan you're alive,” he murmured, his pelt shaking with relief. “I thought they'd kill you!”

     “Not quite,” Silentstorm murmured. The full exhaustion of the day's events was truly starting to sink in. She slumped against Blazeheart, barely conscious enough to keep her footing. Duskpaw and Blazeheart led her into the den, where she slithered gracelessly onto the ground. Lilyfrost was already in the den, wincing from a gash on her shoulder, while Wrenkit sat next to her.

     Blazeheart gasped as he circled around her side, finally taking in the extent of her injuries. “Great StarClan, you're hurt!” he exclaimed, tail lashing in shock. “We need to get you to a medicine cat!”

     Silentstorm gave a weak lash of her tail. “Do you see any medicine cats around here?” she pointed out in a dry mew. “I'll be fine, I just need to rest.” Blazeheart opened his jaws to protest, but Silentstorm quickly cut him off. “I see you managed to find the den. Did you run into any trouble on the way?”

     Duskpaw shook her head. “There weren't any Dark Forest cats after you left,” she explained. “We had to search a little while to find the den, but Lilyfrost sniffed it out.” She gave a frustrated lash of her tail as she added, “I wanted to go back out to look for you, but Blazeheart wouldn't let me.”

     “We can't afford to split up when there's so few of us,” Blazeheart explained. He crossed back over to his daughter, letting her curl up against his legs. “We have to stay together to keep Wrenkit safe. And it was too dangerous to go out alone with those Dark Forest cats out there.”

     “Silentstorm went out alone,” Duskpaw pointed out.

     Silentstorm gave a weak rasp of laughter. “I'm a warrior,” she reminded the apprentice. “I'm allowed to make stupid decisions like that. You're still an apprentice, and you have a mentor to stop you from doing dumb things like me.”

     Duskpaw's whiskers twitched. “I won't be an apprentice for much longer,” she pointed out. “Then I won't have to listen to anyone's orders.”

     “Not that being an apprentice has ever stopped you,” Blazeheart teased. Duskpaw gave a small purr of amusement, but Silentstorm could hear the strain in both cats' mews. Their joking was only a an attempt to mask the fear that every cat was fearing. They had lost their home, every cat was injured, and they only had each other left.

     No sooner had the thought left Silentstorm's head when she heard pawsteps outside. Every cat stiffened, readying themselves for battle if more Dark Forest cats had arrived. But any thought of battle left Silentstorm's head when one cat pushed into the den. “Hello?”

     “Lightfoot!” She pushed herself onto her paws, ignoring the searing pain in her legs as she stumbled towards her mate. Lightfoot gave a startled purr as she nearly fell on him, steadying his injured mate. “Oh, thank StarClan you're here!”

     Lightfoot pressed his head against her neck, giving a fierce purr. “I remembered this den from when we hid here with Finstrike and Nightfern,” he explained quietly. “I thought it might be somewhere safe for us to hide.”

     Silentstorm's breath caught. “Us?” she repeated, hope flaring in her chest. The last time she'd seen Lightfoot, he'd been staying behind with the kits. “Who else is with you?”

     “Snowfall, Cosima, and Antpaw,” Lightfoot explained. “I told them to wait outside so I could check if the den was safe.”

     As he explained, a small form padded out from behind his legs, approaching the blind queen. “Silentstorm?”

     “Jaykit!” Silentstorm fell into a crouch, sniffing and nuzzling her daughter all over. “Oh, thank StarClan you're safe!” Her chest swelled with love and relief, until she felt that she would burst open from it. But all of that relief flew from her as a new thought occurred, her veins turning to ice. “But where is Screechkit?”

     For a few moments, no cat spoke. Finally, Lightfoot rasped, “I... I tried to save her.”

     Time stopped. Silentstorm was suspended in the moment, everything flowing around her like a churning stream. Cats were crying out in horror and shock all around, but the words were slow and blurred, too distorted for Silentstorm to make out. She felt like her entire body was made of ice; if she stirred, she would break, and all of the horror and despair would come tumbling out.

     Finally, she was able to make out some voices again. “Do you mean she's... dead?” Lilyfrost gasped, her mew heavy with horror.

      _Dead. My daughter is dead._ A broken sob escaped Silentstorm. Shock had frozen her, but now she could feel the pain flooding into her heart, filling up her entire pelt, until she thought she would burst from it. _I couldn't save her. Oh StarClan, how could I be such a fool?_

     She almost didn't hear Lightfoot's reply. “I don't know,” he admitted. “The Dark Forest cats attacked while we were fleeing. They tackled me and separated the kits. I was able to save Jaykit, but a lot of cats had fled by then, and I couldn't find Screechkit anywhere. I... I wanted to keep looking for her, but there were still Dark Forest cats, and I needed to keep Jaykit safe, even if Screechkit...”

     Slowly, Lightfoot's words began to sink in. "You mean... she could be alive?" She whispered, hardly daring to hope.

     Lightfoot shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. The last time I saw her, she was fine. But I lost sight of her during the fight, and if the Dark Forest cats got ahold of her..."

     Relief and horror battled in Silentstorm's chest. She fought desperately to push her darker thoughts away and cling to hope. Screechkit could still be alive; she couldn't think of the alternative. The queen could feel Lightfoot trembling beside her. She wondered how hard the decision just have been, whether to keep searching for his missing daughter, or give up on her and take his other daughter to safety. Silentstorm pressed against his pelt, trying to steady him, even though her own legs felt weak. "You did everything you could," she assured her mate, giving him a soft lick to his cheek. "It's not your fault." Lightfoot just nodded numbly in response.

     From the back of the den, Lilyfrost sighed. "It's too dark out to start looking for our Clanmates," she murmured. "Let's just try to make room for everyone in here, get some rest, and figure out what to do next in the morning.

     Every instinct in Silentstorm screamed at her to race out into the night and tear the forest apart to find her daughter. But the Dark Forest was after her; she would probably only bring more attention and danger to Screechkit by searching for her. Even if she were to ignore that and search for her anyway, she sensed that the pain of her wounds would keep her from going very far anyway.

     Reluctantly, she rasped, “Lilyfrost is right. Let's get everyone inside for the night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. So.
> 
> This chapter originally had a lot more in it. But when I had finished writing it all, it had hit about 5800 words. After looking at it a bit, I realized I had written two chapters, not one. So I had to go back and do some work on how all the chapters were planned out.
> 
> The result is that this chapter has been split into two (with the second half already completed, so it's about to get posted in just a few minutes), and a future chapter is probably going to get cut. I don't think taking out this chapter is going have any major consequences for the plot, but we'll see. If worse comes to worse, I'll just let this book have twenty-seven chapters.
> 
> Anywhoo, we see here that Silentstorm has escaped the Dark Forest cats, along with some of her Clanmates. But ThunderClan has been scattered (huh, this ended up more like Hawkwing's Journey than I intended), and worst of all, Screechkit is missing. We'll have to see how that turns out. ^^
> 
> I don't have that much more to say on this chapter. Onto the next one, then. ^^ Since it was all meant to be one chapter, the next chapter will also be in Silentstorm's POV.


	18. Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Silentstorm slips into a troubled sleep.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Sixteen

     It had been crowded enough when Silentstorm had shared the den with three other cats after they'd fled from Breeze's camp. But now, with five warriors, two apprentices, and two kits, there was hardly room for any cat to move. Blazeheart and Cosima, the least injured of the warriors, did their best to dig at the walls and expand the den. In the end, the den wasn't much bigger, but at least each cat could lay comfortably on the ground.

     Silentstorm was laying with Jaykit and Wrenkit nestled next to her belly, fast asleep. Jaykit had been shaking like a leaf, shocked by how injured her mother was, and the battle and loss of her sister had clearly terrified her. Silentstorm and Lightfoot had done their best to comfort their daughter, and Wrenkit had tried to cheer up her denmate. In the end, with Wrenkit pressed against her like her littermate, and the comfort of her mother's belly beside her, Jaykit had drifted into a fitful sleep.

     Lilyfrost had offered to take the first guard watch for the night. She was sitting outside of the den now, keeping an eye out for Dark Forest cats, while the rest of her Clanmates slept and rested within. Antpaw was lying next to his mentor, twitching and whimpering in his sleep. Cosima was still grooming a wound on Snowfall's back, making a weak attempt at levity as she joked, "Be faster on your paws next time, mousebrain." Snowfall's eyes glowed with pain, but he gave a weak purr, pressing his muzzle against Cosima's cheek.

     Duskpaw had fallen asleep as well, sticking close to Antpaw's side. The tom had been frightened by the battle, and worried about where his sisters and parents could be. Duskpaw and Cosima had done their best to comfort him, but Silentstorm guessed from his whimpering that his worries had followed him into his dreams. He had always stuck by Beetlepaw's side, and just like Beetlepaw he was protective of Yewpaw. It had to be hard for him to be separated from them.

     Blazeheart and Lightfoot had been finishing preparations for the den, but now, they came to lay in either side of Silentstorm. In a mew too low for Snowfall and Cosima to hear, Blazeheart murmured, "Back there, you said the Dark Forest cats were coming for you. They followed you when you ran, and during the battle, Scorch was talking like the whole attack was just to kill you." Silentstorm sighed, closing her eyes. "Does this have something to do with the prophecy?"

     Silentstorm felt a stab of guilt. Before, she'd kept the truth from her friends and family because the battle was only to be between herself and Shade. But now, Scorch had brought the battle to her Clan, and her family. She could still hold back – yet, after everything that had happened, she felt she owed them some explanation.

     "There's going to be a battle," she finally whispered. Both Lightfoot and Blazeheart pricked their ears forward. "A one-on-one fight to the death between me and one other cat, as the champions of StarClan and the Dark Forest. At this point, I'm almost certain that the other cat is going to be Scorch. If I win, the Dark Forest will never be able to visit or hurt the living again. If I lose, the Dark Forest takes over."

     She heard a sharp intake of breath from Blazeheart, and Lightfoot stiffened beside her. "The return of the Dark Forest rests on a fight between two cats?" Lightfoot breathed.

     "Yes," Silentstorm mewed. "I think the battle today was an attempt to kill me before I have a chance to face Scorch for real." Guilt clawed at her heart. “I didn't see the battle coming – I would have tried to stop it if I had.”

     There was a sharp edge to Blazeheart's mew when he spoke again. "Why didn't you tell us this before?" he demanded, hurt and accusation in his growl. "We could have helped you! If Scorch used her Dark Forest allies to gang up on you, we could have done the same to her!"

     "I had no idea where she was," Silentstorm explained softly. "Even StarClan couldn't find her - she was being hidden from them. There was no way to track her down before the battle, other than searching every single part of the territories, and who's to say she hadn't left the lake? And you can't help me during the battle, either."

     "Why not?" Blazeheart growled. "Who says it has to be a one-on-one battle? You can be sure that Scorch won't fight a fair battle, so you shouldn't either."

     Silentstorm sighed. “It's more complicated than that,” she explained. Her mind flashed back to the vision she'd been given of the first battle between Rock and Shade. From the sounds she'd heard, they had been moving faster and striking harder than any living cat could ever hope to. There had been cats who lived at the lake watching the battle, but the two spirits had been fighting so fiercely that they were powerless to intervene.

     “Scorch and I will be given great power to fight this battle. We'll be faster and stronger than any mortal cat. This power will only be given to myself and Scorch; any other cat who tries to face either of us while we have this power won't stand a chance.” Blazeheart and Lightfoot were both silent for a few moments, the truth of her words apparently sinking in. “There won't be anything that any living cat can to hurt either one of us, and any cat who tried would be killed before they could lift a claw. The only one who can face Scorch in this battle and have any chance of winning will be me, once I have the same power.”

     “Great StarClan...” Lightfoot breathed. Silentstorm could feel his pelt trembling against hers. Jaykit gave a small moan in her sleep, twitching slightly. Blazeheart was silent, his tail sweeping behind him in a slow, anxious rhythm. Silentstorm couldn't blame them for their unease. Clan cats were taught to stick together in battle, to defend their Clanmates even at the cost of their lives, and the honor of open battle. This was different. They were being told that a one-on-one battle was going to determine the fate of all of the Clans, and there was nothing they could do but watch their Clanmate risk her life without lifting a claw to help her. It was a hard truth to swallow.

     Finally, Blazeheart sighed. “I... I can see why you didn't want to tell us,” he murmured. He still seemed stunned by what Silentstorm had told him. “You're saying there's nothing we can do to help? I'm supposed to just sit back and watch while my sister risks her life to stop the Dark Forest?”

     Silentstorm nodded sadly. “You'd be killed in a heartbeat if you tried to fight Scorch while she has that power,” she told her brother. “I didn't want to see my friends and family trying to fight an enemy they couldn't possibly beat.”

     “You could have trusted us to make that choice for ourselves,” Lightfoot pointed out quietly.

     His words cut at Silentstorm's heart like claws. “I know,” she whispered. “But there wasn't anything you could do to help me anyway. It was my choice to make, and my battle. I didn't want to make you all worry when there was nothing you could do to help me anyway.”

     For several moments, no cat spoke. Then, Lightfoot asked quietly, “Do you know when the battle is going to be?”

     Silentstorm shook her head. “Not for sure. But based on tonight's attack, I'm guessing it won't be long.”

     Blazeheart hesitated for a moment. When he spoke, his mew was softer than before. “I know we can't help you with the battle,” he rasped. He seemed to find the words painful to say, as though not wanting to admit that truth. “But is there anything we can do, anything at all to help?”

     Silentstorm touched her nose briefly to her brother's ear in thanks. She knew he and Lightfoot had been hurt by her holding back the truth. But it seemed like even after all of that, she still had their support. “Look after the kits,” she murmured. “I don't know how long it'll be between when I have to leave to gain my power and when the battle will be. I'll try to tell you before I have to leave, but depending on what happens, I might have to leave with very little warning. Keep yourselves and the Clan safe, as much as you can.”

     “We will,” Lightfoot murmured, pressing his muzzle against Silentstorm's cheek. Blazeheart echoed him, flicking his tail against Silentstorm's flank. “We'll do whatever it takes. Just... make sure you come back home.”

     Silentstorm leaned into her mate's embrace, closing her eyes. “I'll try,” she promised.

**SCENEBREAK**

     It was some time later when Silentstorm finally drifted off to sleep. It seemed like she had hardly closed her eyes before she was jerked into StarClan's forest, Hollyleaf's panicked cry in her ears. “Silentstorm!”

     The queen was instantly alert, tail lashing. She felt none of her wounds here – she was as strong and sure as ever. “What is it?” she demanded.

     “Hurry!” Without further explanation, Hollyleaf took off. Silentstorm pelted after her, heart pounding as she kept behind the StarClan warrior. “I kept track of Scorch after the battle,” Hollyleaf called back to the living cat, fear heavy in her mew. “I think Shade is angry – she's let her defenses down enough for me to see her. We have to hurry!”

     Finally, Hollyleaf came screeching to a halt, Silentstorm slowing behind her. She led the queen to a pond, crouching beside the water's edge. Silentstorm crouched beside her, puzzled. “StarClan can use this pond, and other places, to watch the living,” Hollyleaf explained. “Listen.”

     Silentstorm lowered her head to the water, turning her ear to listen. To her shock, she could hear faint voices coming from the water. “You are on very dangerous ground, Scorch! You have failed me!” She stiffened, her hackles bristling as she recognized the furious screech. _Shade!_

     There was a frustrated growl, presumably from Scorch. “That tabby came out of nowhere,” she grunted. Silentstorm could hear a sharp hiss of pain from the rogue, giving her a flicker of satisfaction. It sounded like Shadowstripe had seriously wounded the she-cat. “She got lucky, that's all.”

     The shriek that emitted from Shade shook Silentstorm all the way down to her bones. Her ears flew back against her head, trying to block out the terrible sound. “She was not supposed to get lucky!” she howled with rage. “She was supposed to be _dead!_ ” Shade gave a thunderous growl, warning the rogue, “This was your last chance, Scorch.”

     “Don't be mousebrained,” Scorch mewed firmly. Silentstorm couldn't help but be impressed by her calm tone in the face of Shade's wrath. “You still need me, now more than ever.” Shade seemed to pause in her growling, listening to her ally. “That attack yesterday probably made Silentstorm realize how close you are to getting a body. What if she's decided to make sure Rock can possess her before we get to him? For all you know, she could be on her way there right now.”

     For several moments, Shade didn't speak. When she finally spoke again, it was in a low, deadly growl. “Very well,” she growled, a dark echo to her words. “Then it's time.”

     That finally seemed to make Scorch afraid. “Now?” she asked, a tinge of uncertainty to her mew.

     “Right now,” Shade affirmed. “Unless you want to say goodbye to your kits, and your revenge, forever, you will fulfill your part of the agreement _now_. We'll kill Rock before he has a chance to be saved by the Silent One, and then you will have everything I promised and more.”

     Silentstorm stiffened, terror spiking through her pelt. For a long time, Scorch hesitated. Despite her fear, Silentstorm wondered what was going through the mind of her rival. What was the fear that held her back? What was driving her to want to accept? Who was this cat that she was going to have to face in the battle to end all battles?

     Finally, Scorch spoke again in a resigned mew. “Very well.”

     There was a sound like a strong wind rushing, and a gasp from Scorch. With stunned horror, Silentstorm realized she was listening to Shade take over Scorch's body. “No!” The queen jerked her head away from the pond, turning to Hollyleaf with a panicked lashing of her tail.” I have to stop them! Rock needs help _now!_ ”

     Hollyleaf didn't hesitate. She touched her nose to Silentstorm's forehead, and immediately the forest around her began to fade, her dream slipping away from her. “Do what you must, Silentstorm,” the StarClan warrior murmured. Silentstorm knew she wasn't imagining the sad tinge to her kin's mew.

     Only moments later, Silentstorm jerked awake in her nest. From the sounds of chirping crickets and the night-birds singing, it was still before dawn. She could hear Cosima sigh as she sat outside on watch duty, but the rest of the cats in the den were still asleep.

     All but one.

     In a sudden rush, Silentstorm's dream came back to her, and urgency flooded through her pelt. There was no more time for indecision, or waiting for the right moment. _Rock needs my help right now!_ As the queen started to push to her paws, a small mew beside her caught her attention. Horror flooded through her as she realized that Jaykit was awake, and looking up at her mother with a troubled mew. “Silentstorm?” the kit mewed quietly. “Where are you going?”

     Guilt clawed at Silentstorm's pelt. She had no idea when she would see her kits again, and if she ever would. But this was a battle that had to be fought, for the sake of all who lived under the light, and for the sake of her kits. “There's something I have to do,” she whispered back to Jaykit, praying that none of the other cats woke. She was painfully aware of the need for urgency, and the desire to race off and find Rock was tugging at her paws. But she couldn't just run off on her daughter. “Something important.”

     Jaykit was silent for a few moments. “I was awake last night while you were talking,” she finally admitted. Silentstorm stiffened in surprise. “I heard you talking about the prophecy. You're going to fight that cat Scorch, aren't you?”

     Once she got over her surprise, Silentstorm admitted quietly, “Yes, I am. But I don't know how long I'll be gone.” She gave the kit a soft lick on top of her head, mewing in as light a tone as she could manage, “Just look after your father and Wrenkit while I'm gone, and be good.”

     Her attempt at cheer didn't seem to fool Jaykit. The kit hesitated, ducking her head, before giving a small, fearful mew. “But what if you don't come back?” she asked, her mew wavering.

     Silentstorm paused, really stopping to consider her daughter. Jaykit wasn't just some young, naive kit anymore. She was over three moons old now, and while she was still young, she was really starting to mature and realize the truths about the world around her. And one of those truths was the danger Silentstorm was about to face, and the risks that carried. For a few moments, all Silentstorm could do was consider her kit, and realize how much she was growing up, and how much she had to lose.

     Then, solemnly, she reached down and touched her nose to her daughter's forehead. “I promise you, I will always do everything in my power to come back home to you,” she vowed quietly. “Whatever it takes.” Perhaps it wasn't enough, perhaps she wouldn't come back, but she needed to make sure her daughter knew how much she loved her. She would never abandon her, and even if she died in the battle to come, she would walk with her daughters, always.

     Jaykit seemed hesitant to accept her mother's promise. But finally, she lifted her muzzle to press against her mother's. “Okay,” she murmured. “Please come home. I love you.”

     Silentstorm's heart lurched in her chest. “I love you too, darling,” she whispered. She wanted nothing more than to stay in the warmth of the den with her daughter beside her, but the urgency of her mission tugged at her paws, calling her away. Reluctantly, she pushed herself onto her paws, ignoring the fresh wave of pain in her wounds. She picked her way around her sleeping Clanmates, then bounded out of the den, pushing past a surprised Cosima. Even as the former kittypet called out to her, Silentstorm ignored her, racing out into the forest as fast as her wounds would let her. _Don't let me be too late!_ she prayed as she tore through the forest, desperate to reach Rock first.

     It didn't take long for her to reach the entrance to the tunnels. She flew into the entrance, desperately pushing through the narrow stone tunnels. Up ahead of her, she thought she could hear snarls. _They're here!_ She pushed herself faster, finally bursting into the open cavern with the river.

     The scene that greeted her made her freeze in horror. Scorch was standing in front of Rock, who was gasping for air. From the way he was gargling, his throat had been slit open. He came crashing to the ground, a cool, icy mist rising from his body. With a delighted snarl, Scorch began to approach the mist.

      _“No!”_ Silentstorm hurtled herself towards Rock's fallen body, her paws barely touching the ground in her desperation to reach his side. Scorch paused, stunned at the sight of the blind queen, and that pause just barely gave Silentstorm the time she needed to reach Rock first. She touched her nose to Rock's mist, crying, “I'm not letting you die like this!”

     There was a burst of icy wind the moment Silentstorm's nose connected with Rock's mist. Agony like Silentstorm had never known tore through her body, filling her to the very tips of her pelt with blinding pain. Silentstorm scraped her claws against the stone, trying to steady herself against the pain, as her mind and body were filled with the agony and brilliance of starlight. Scorch was crouching against the stone, overwhelmed by the powerful waves of wind and power coming off of the queen.

     And then Silentstorm was no more.

     When the explosion of power and starlight finally stopped, the body of the ThunderClan warrior rose to standing, turning to her enemy. “Leave now, before I make you regret your decision to come.” The voice that came from the blind cat was not the mew of Silentstorm, nor was it the rasping tone of Rock. It was a voice echoing with strength and power, the voice of the Silent One, two minds in one body, with all the power of the stars in their paws.

     Shade hesitated. The Silent One could tell that, though the body in front of them belonged to Scorch, that there was no trace of the rogue left. Only the smallest part of Scorch's presence remained, a tiny sliver in the back of her mind. Shade had consumed the rogue's body entirely, taking complete control. But Scorch's wounds from the previous day's battle remained on the body. The Silent One knew those wounds would heal faster than on any mortal cat, but now, they still slowed Shade down. Shade had come here hoping for the element of surprise over her weaker enemy, but that was lost, and now she and the Silent One were evenly matched.

     Finally, Shade backed away with a hiss. “I won't be gone long, Silent One,” she snarled. “And then we'll settle this once and for all!” With a final snarl, she turned and fled from the tunnels, leaving the Silent One to glare after her. Already, loss was rising in the Silent One's heart, the warrior inside of them wailing at what she had lost, and what she would have to sacrifice. But the Silent One made no sound. The time for hesitation was over, the final battle was approaching, and soon nothing would stand in the way of their destiny.

     Outside, it began to snow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait on this chapter. ^^ I wanted to look over it and make any adjustments, and I had to do some other stuff. But it's posted now.
> 
> So, here's what was meant to be in the rest of Chapter Fifteen. Silentstorm finally allows Rock to possess her, and Scorch finally allows Shade to possess her. The battle has been stalled, but only for now. Hoo boy. ^^
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV.


	19. Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blazeheart wakes the next morning to find his sister gone.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Seventeen

     “Where could she have gone?”

     The voices in the den roused Blazeheart from his sleep. The tabby lifted his head, blinking groggily as he tried to figure out what was going on. Cosima was speaking with Snowfall, worry shining in her eyes, and tail lashing. The soft light filtering into the den told Blazeheart that it was still early morning. All around him, cats were asleep, but Cosima's panicked mew was starting to rouse them.

     Blazeheart pushed onto his paws, approaching the two warriors. “What's going on?” he asked.

     Both cats turned to face him. “It's Silentstorm!” Cosima mewed, tone full of worry. “She ran out of the den while I was on watch duty. I thought she might just have wanted to get some air, but she didn't come back by the time for Lilyfrost's next watch. I tried to track where her scent had gone, but it's been snowing during the night, and the snow covered her scent. I don't know where she could have gone, but Dark Forest patrols have passed nearby. It's too dangerous to be alone out there.”

     Cold fear clawed at Blazeheart's heart. Memories of last night's conversation with his sister. _Has she left us already?_

     Lightfoot was on his paws in an instant. “When's the last time you saw her?” he demanded, mew tinged with worry. “Did anyone else see her leave?”

     Cosima opened her mouth to answer, only to be cut off by a small mew. “I saw her leave.” Everyone turned to look at Jaykit, who was staring at her Clanmates with fear and worry in her gray eyes.

     “You did?” Lightfoot asked, hope sparking in his eyes. “Did she say where she was going?”

     Jaykit ducked her head. “She said she had something really important to do. She said she wasn't sure how long she'd be gone, and that I should stay with you and Blazeheart and be good.” For a moment, the kit looked up, giving her father a knowing glance.

     Blazeheart's breath caught. _She's left to go fight Scorch,_ he realized.

     Shock pulsed through the tabby's pelt. Last night, Silentstorm had finally told him and Lightfoot the truth about the prophecy. She'd said that it likely wouldn't be long before the battle, but he hadn't guessed that she'd have to leave that very night.

     Lightfoot and Blazeheart seemed to be the only cats who realized the significance of what Jaykit had told them. "What's so important that she had to leave in the middle of the night to do it?" Cosima asked, looking surprised. "Doesn't she realize dangerous it is to go out there alone with Dark Forest cats everywhere?"

     "Of course she does!" Blazeheart defended his sister immediately. "My sister's not a mousebrain!"

     Cosima blinked, looking surprised and a bit embarrassed. Snowfall rose to his paws, coming to stand between Blazeheart and the former kittypet. "No cat accused Silentstorm of being a mousebrain," he mewed calmly. "But if she really is out there alone, she could be in danger. We should look for her, and for Screechkit, and any other Clanmates we can find."

     Lightfoot and Blazeheart shared an uneasy glance. On the one paw, if Silentstorm really had left to fulfill the prophecy, Blazeheart very much doubted they would be able to find her. But on the other, Screechkit was still out there, and so were the rest of their Clanmates. They had to try and find them. “You're right,” he meowed aloud. He glanced critically at his wounded, exhausted, starving Clanmates before adding, “And besides, we all need to eat. I can take out a hunting patrol, and we'll look for our Clanmates while we're out there. How does that sound?”

     The rest of the cats quickly agreed, so Blazeheart began organizing his patrol. He picked the least injured of the warriors – Cosima, Lightfoot, and Duskpaw – and made sure to leave enough cats to protect the kits. They headed out of the den, into the light of the early morning. Blazeheart hadn't realized it was snowing until he stepped outside, but now the snow swirled all around him, coming to rest on the already snow-covered floor of the forest.

     As Blazeheart led his patrol into the forest, they almost immediately had to hide behind a clump of bracken from a passing Dark Forest patrol. The see-through warriors were prowling through ThunderClan's territory like they owned it, growling to each other as they sniffed the air. _Looking for Silentstorm,_ Blazeheart guessed, _Or for any ThunderClan cats still in the territory._

     They waited for the patrol to leave before moving on, more cautious now. “We shouldn't stay out here too long,” Blazeheart warned his Clanmates. “There could be Dark Forest cats anywhere out here, and we can't afford to pick a fight. Let's try to find what prey we can, and get back to the others.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     It was a better hunting day than Blazeheart had seen in moons. Cosima brought down a robin not long after hiding from the Dark Forest patrol, and after that, Duskpaw and Blazeheart caught two mice that had been foraging together in the snow. Blazeheart guessed that the Dark Forest cats weren't hunting in the territory anymore, now that there weren't Clan cats there to steal from. Either way, he was grateful for the hearty catch, considering it was the middle of leafbare.

     That better hunting came at a price, however. All too frequently, the patrol had to halt in order to avoid being seen by a Dark Forest patrol. Blazeheart had never seen so many patrols in one day. The amount of Dark Forest cats in their territory seemed unending, and judging by their numbers, they were putting all of their resources into finding the missing ThunderClan cats. If Blazeheart had to guess, their biggest target was Silentstorm. He sent a silent prayer to StarClan that his sister was safe, and that she could come back to them soon. The battle she had to face would be fought to the death, and he had seen for himself what a powerful opponent Scorch was. _Please, let Silentstorm win,_ he prayed to StarClan. _Let my sister come home safely._

     Lightfoot was distracted for most of the patrol, more intent on searching for Screechkit than he was on sniffing out prey. Blazeheart knew how important it was to bring back prey for the others, but at the same time, he could hardly blame Lightfoot. And it wasn't like Lightfoot was the only one who was missing a lost Clanmate.

     When Bramblestar had ordered his warriors to retreat, Blazeheart had run right to the nursery to grab Wrenkit. Ambertalon had been there defending her, but when he came to pick her up, the queen had said she wanted to help make sure their Clanmates got out safely. Blazeheart had agreed to take care of Wrenkit for the time being, and had been fully intending to meet up with Ambertalon once the Clan had fled to safety. He hadn't counted on the Clan being scattered by the Dark Forest, and since leaving her behind in the nursery, he hadn't seen hide or hair of Ambertalon.

     At first, his priority had been to get Wrenkit to safety. But now, worry and fear for his mate clawed at Blazeheart's chest. While Lightfoot searched for Screechkit, he kept his eyes open for any trace of his mate. Ambertalon was still alive; she had to be. She was the strongest cat Blazeheart had ever known. He couldn't bear to think of the possibility that he had lost her forever.

     The snow was starting to pick up as the patrol padded along, coming down harder as the wind tugged at the warriors' pelts. Blazeheart was beginning to worry that the snow would drive prey into hiding when Duskpaw suddenly stiffened. “Wait. I smell something.” She turned, sniffing at the fallen snow, before scraping the freshly-fallen layer back with a triumphant cry. “Look!”

     Blazeheart and the others crowded around her. To Blazeheart's surprise, blood stained the snow underneath the newly-fallen snow, leading in a winding trail towards a clump of ferns. Wary now, Blazeheart gestured to his Clanmates to wait, then began creeping towards the ferns. He pushed through them, only to find more blood-scent leading towards a nearby hazel bush.

     “Get away!” A blur of muscles and claws suddenly slammed into Blazeheart, sending him and his attacker tumbling into the snow.

     Blazeheart snarled as he was thrown onto his back, only to pause as he recognized his attacker. “Ivypool?” he gasped.

     Ivypool's lips had been drawn back in a furious snarl. But after a moment, recognition flared in her eyes, and her hackles began to lower. “Blazeheart?” she mewed, looking confused. She stepped back, allowing the tom to get back onto his paws. “Thank StarClan! I thought you were Dark Forest cats coming back for us.”

     “Us?” Blazeheart's ears pricked, hope clawing at his heart. “Who else is with you?”

     “Come and see.” Ivypool turned and started limping towards the hazel bush. Blazeheart was surprised to see how badly she was injured. A deep slice ran across her shoulder, causing Ivypool to hold that paw gingerly off the ground, and the rest of her pelt was covered in slices and gashes. _She must have been really desperate, to attack me in the state that she's in,_ Blazeheart realized.

     He followed Ivypool under the hazel bush, blinking a few times in the dark lighting. Once his vision adjusted, he could see Ripplewing lying sprawled out on the ground, Redleaf lying beside him and grooming his wounds. Redleaf looked up as the two warriors entered, but Ripplewing didn't move. There was a nasty gash on his belly, pulsing with blood. At first, Blazeheart thought he was unconcious, but he quickly realized from the gentle rise and fall of his sides that the tom was only asleep.

     “Blazeheart!” Redleaf mewed, surprise flashing in her green eyes. “Oh thank StarClan, we weren't sure if the rest of the Clan would be able to find us here.”

     “Redleaf and I were able to get Ripplewing to safety,” Ivypool explained to Blazeheart. “We were separated from the rest of the Clan. Ripplewing was badly hurt, so he's been resting, and we've been keeping watch for the Dark Forest.” For a moment, hope glowed in her eyes. “How many more cats are with you?”

     “Not many,” Blazeheart mewed grimly. “But Antpaw is with us.”

     Fierce joy flashed in Ivypool's eyes. “My son! How is he?”

     “He's safe, and he isn't badly hurt,” Blazeheart assured her. “Other than that, we have Snowfall, Cosima, Lilyfrost, Duskpaw, Lightfoot, Wrenkit, and Jaykit.” He hesitated, then asked, “Have you seen Ambertalon or Screechkit since we left camp?”

     Cold claws clutched at his chest as Ivypool shook her head. “The last I saw Ambertalon, she was chasing a Dark Forest tom away from Foxpaw after Bramblestar told us to retreat,” she told Blazeheart. “But I haven't seen her since then, I'm afraid. And I didn't see Screechkit at all during the battle.”

     Blazeheart tried to hide his disappointment. “Well, at least you three are safe,” he mewed. _Oh Ambertalon, where are you?_ he wondered, his heart aching for her. _StarClan, let her and Screechkit be safe._

     Before Ivypool could reply, a small tortoiseshell face poked through the branches of the hazel bush, peering curiously inside. “What's taking you so lo...” she began, only to blink in surprise as she noticed the rest of her Clanmates. “You found cats!”

     “Duskpaw, I thought I told all of you to wait,” Blazeheart reminded his apprentice, a stern edge to his mew.

     “You were taking too long, and we heard snarling,” Duskpaw explained, unimpressed with her mentor's stern tone.

     She pushed her way under the bush, giving a bright purr as she approached her Clanmates. A few moments later, Lightfoot and Cosima followed behind her. Cosima blinked in surprise as she saw the cats inside. “Great StarClan, Ripplewing looks hurt!”

     Blazeheart looked around at all of his Clanmates for a few moments, before sighing. “Let's get back to the others,” he suggested.

     “What about our Clanmates?” Lightfoot demanded, fear in his mew. “And Screechkit? I have to find her!”

     Blazeheart felt a rush of sympathy for the tom. He hadn't lost his own daughter, but he cared for his sister's kits deeply; Screechkit's loss hurt him too. But what he felt for his own daughter was different, and with Wrenkit safe in the den, he couldn't imagine what Lightfoot was going through. “I know. But Ripplewing is hurt, and the Clanmates we left at the den still need to eat. Besides, we're not going to find any more cats or prey in this snow. I think it would be best if we all eat and think about our next move.”

     Lightfoot looked like he was going to argue further, but after a moment, he hung his head in defeat. “I guess you're right,” he murmured.

     Blazeheart watched the tom a few moments longer, making sure he wasn't going to argue further, before turning away. “Alright,” he mewed. “Let's get going.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     The gentle, falling snow had turned into a full-blown snowstorm by the time Blazeheart and his patrol return to the fox den. Ripplewing had been woken, and was leaning heavily against Redleaf as the patrol trudged along. They were greeted with surprised mews as they brought their Clanmates into the cramped den, cats coming forward to greet the newcomers. While the cats in the den seemed happy to see more Clanmate, they were also alarmed by how badly injured they were.

     Ivypool limped right to her son, Antpaw mewling like a kit as he let his mother sniff and nuzzle him all over. Redleaf led Ripplewing into the center of the den, before he slid gracelessly to the ground, eyes glazed over with pain. Lilyfrost approached him, sniffing his wounds with a worried expression.

     “This looks really bad,” Lilyfrost murmured, eyes shining with worry. “He needs to see a medicine cat right away.” She glanced at Ivypool, who was trying to clean the wound on her shoulder, clearly drained from the pain of her wound. “And so does she.”

     Cosima's eyes glowed with worry. “And Silentstorm still isn't back,” she murmured, looking guilty. “I shouldn't have just let her leave. Shouldn't we keep looking for her?”

     No cat answered her. Blazeheart didn't have the heart to tell his Clanmates that Silentstorm wouldn't be back for a while, and Lightfoot's eyes were dull with pain. As the silence stretched out, Duskpaw looked over her Clanmates, tail lashing. “What are we going to do?” she mewed, fear and worry tinging her mew. “Leafpool is dead, and StarClan knows where Finchwing got to after the battle. How are we going to look after our Clanmates?”

     No answer seemed forthcoming. Ivypool was the oldest warrior in the den, but the walk back to the fox den seemed to have drained her; her eyes were glazed over with exhaustion as she tried to clean her wound. Lilyfrost's tail was trembling as she looked over her injured Clanmates, and Snowfall flinched as he sat up, his back wound trickling with fresh blood. Blazeheart was chilled by how defeated his Clanmates already seemed.

     Suddenly, an idea came to him. He hesitated, before resigning himself; it was their best chance. “We're not far from WindClan's border,” he meowed aloud, catching the attention of his Clanmates. “I think we should cross into WindClan's territory and ask them for shelter.”

     His Clanmates glanced at him in surprise. “WindClan?” Antpaw repeated, looking confused. “But the Clans are supposed to be separate now.”

     “I know,” Blazeheart mewed. He had worried about the same thing for moons. And yet, he knew that this was the best shot his Clanmates had at surviving. “But our Clanmates need a medicine cat – we need to get them treated. If we go to WindClan, Kestrelflight and Icefur will be able to treat them.”

     Cosima poked her head outside of the den, pulling it back with a hiss. “It's turned into a blizzard out there,” she called to her Clanmates. Every cat was having to speak louder to be heard over the shrieking of the wind. “We won't make it to WindClan with the weather like this.”

     “It'll be dangerous, but it's more dangerous to stay here,” Blazeheart argued. “There are Dark Forest patrols all over the territory. If we stay here any longer, they'll find us, and too many of us are injured to last in a fight. We need to get out of ThunderClan territory until we can figure out how to win our territory back.”

     Some cats were still looking uncertain, and Lightfoot's eyes were glowing with fear, but Ivypool and Snowfall were both nodding slowly. “The wind sounds bad out there, but we know this territory better than the Dark Forest,” Snowfall murmured thoughtfully. “If we can just get to the border and find a patrol, we might make it.”

     Ivypool lifted her head, determination in her gaze. “I think Blazeheart is right,” she meowed strongly. “We need to get to WindClan, before the Dark Forest finds us. This storm isn't going to stop them; they'll keep looking for any cats left on this territory until they find us.”

     “But what about our Clanmates?” Lightfoot protested, fear in his mew. “We can't just leave them!”

     Blazeheart sighed. The tabby approached the tom, looking him in the eyes as he mewed, “I know you're afraid for Screechkit, and for Silentstorm.” He could see fear for his daughter blazing in Lightfoot's eyes. “But we won't be any good to them if we're killed by the Dark Forest. And as long as we stay here, Jaykit and Wrenkit are still in danger. We need to get them somewhere safe before we can try to find Screechkit.”

     Lightfoot held Blazeheart's gaze for several moment, desperation shining in his eyes, before he looked away to glance at Jaykit. He watched the she-kit stare back at him with fear in her eyes, before finally sighing. “Alright,” he murmured. “I'll do what it takes to keep Jaykit safe.”

     “Good,” Blazeheart mewed. He glanced back at his Clanmates, looking at the small fresh-kill pile they'd assembled as he mewed, “Let's all try to get something to eat, and then we should get going.” He was surprised to hear the authoritative ring in his mew, but more surprising was the fact that his Clanmates listened. They began dividing up the prey so everyone would get something to eat, checking over wounds and trying to get them clean. Blazeheart was one of the least injured warriors, and had been the one to lead the hunting patrol, and come up with the idea to travel to WindClan. For whatever reason, his Clanmates seemed to now be looking to him.

      _I just hope my idea doesn't get us all killed,_ he thought darkly.

**SCENEBREAK**

     Once every cat had eaten, they left the fox den behind and set off for the moorland. Blazeheart was at the front of the group, Wrenkit held tightly in his jaws. Antpaw was walking beside Ivypool, helping his mother as she limped forward. Redleaf and Lilyfrost were supporting the half-conscious Ripplewing between them, while Cosima helped Snowfall walk, his back held stiffly. Duskpaw had taken the rear, keeping an eye out for any Dark Forest cats behind them, while Lightfoot was in the middle with Jaykit in his jaws. There was dull glaze to his eyes that told Blazeheart that he was thinking of his lost daughter and mate.

     The wind was howling like all of TigerClan, nearly carrying the Clan cats off of their paws. The snow was up to their bellies now; they were trudging forward like snails, fighting against the wind and thick snow with very step. Blazeheart kept a tight grip on his daughter, screwing his eyes shut as a fierce blast of wind and snow hit his face. It seemed like every step forward meant two steps backward. But they had to keep going. It was their only chance.

     For a while, Blazeheart couldn't tell where they were. The snow was falling in such thick sheets that he could barely see two mouse-lengths in front of him. He was beginning to fear that they were hopelessly lost when he finally saw something he recognized. “That tree!” he called back to his Clanmates, feeling the first shred of hope he'd felt since they left the fox den. “I've seen it before. We're not far from the border!”

     He picked up the pace, pushing his Clanmates onward as he tried to lead them towards the border. Wrenkit shivered in his jaws, her pelt dusted with snow. “I'm cold,” she mewled, her mew quivering as she shook.

     Fear clawed at Blazeheart's heart. He knew that young kittens like Jaykit and Wrenkit would be far more susceptible to the cold than larger warriors; if he didn't get her and Jaykit somewhere warm soon, they would freeze to death. “I know, dear,” he murmured to her, trying to keep the tremor of fear out of his mew. “We'll be somewhere warm soon, I promise.”

     Finally, the trees began to thin out, leading to the open moorland. Relief crashed over Blazeheart; they had reached WindClan territory. He pushed the patrol harder now, calling, “Come on! We have to find a patrol!” Ripplewing seemed barely conscious now, and Ivypool was limping badly, but he couldn't afford to let them rest. If they didn't get out of this storm soon, they would freeze. He led them further into the territory, trying to remember anywhere in the territory where they might find a patrol. _StarClan, help me!_ he prayed, hoping he was leading them the right way. He couldn't remember how to find the camp in this terrible storm, and there was no guarantee that there would be any patrols out in a storm this bad. _Please let us get lucky enough to find a patrol!_

     “Intruders!” Suddenly, the patrol was being surrounded, lithe forms padding out of the snow with their backs arched. Blazeheart crouched protectively in front of his injured Clanmates, Cosima, Redleaf, and Lilyfrost doing the same. He was quickly able to recognize the cats surrounding them as WindClan warriors. Larksong headed the patrol, with Beechleaf, Nightfern, and Shardpaw accompanying her. A half-frozen hare hung from Beechleaf's jaws.

     The warriors approached the crouching ThunderClan cats with flashing fangs and extended claws, only to pause as they recognized the intruders. “Blazeheart?” Larksong mewed, looking confused. “Ivypool? Snowfall? What are you doing here?” Her eyes widened with shock as she noticed the kits in the group. “And what in StarClan are you doing with such young kits in a storm like this?”

     Blazeheart took a step forward, surprised at how his legs were shaking. The journey to WindClan territory had really taken a lot out of him. “Thank StarClan,” he breathed, setting Wrenkit on the snow in front of him for a moment. She snuggled back against the warmth of his legs, staring up at the WindClan deputy with wide eyes. “I'm sorry for intruding, but we didn't have any choice. We need to speak with Heatherstar. Please Larksong – these kits will freeze if they stay out in this storm any longer.”

     The deputy hesitated, before dipping her head. “Very well,” she murmured. “I'd never let kits freeze, and it looks like a fair few of you could do with a medicine cat. Come with us.”

     Blazeheart was shaky with relief as the WindClan patrol approached his Clanmates, helping them to their paws and leading them forward. Nightfern spoke in a low voice to Lightfoot, before Lightfoot set Jaykit down and Nightfern scooped up the kit in her jaws. He stumbled forward, suddenly looking more exhausted. Shardpaw and Beechleaf took over looking after Ripplewing, and Larksong approached Blazeheart. “You look dead on your paws,” she murmured. “I can carry your kit, if you need.”

     The tom hesitated, fierce protective instinct for his daughter flooding through him. But after a moment, he dipped his head. “Thank you,” he murmured. The truth was, the effort of leading his Clan to the moor, as well as yesterday's battle, had exhausted him. The gray deputy was one of the WindClan cats he knew best, and he knew he could trust her with his daughter. Larksong blinked at him, then padded up to Wrenkit, murmuring to the kit before grasping her gently between her teeth. Once Wrenkit was secure in her grasp, Larksong came to the front of the patrol, leading them all towards WindClan's camp.

     Even with the storm, it didn't take them long to reach WindClan's camp. The camp seemed almost abandoned when they arrived, but Blazeheart quickly realized that most of the cats were hiding in various holes and dens around the hollow. They began to creep back outside when the patrol arrived, peering curiously at the newcomers. Heatherstar poked her head out of the nursery, then bounded out of the den, coming to stand before the patrol. “What's going on here?” she asked, coolly assessing the patrol. “Why have injured ThunderClan warriors been brought to our camp?”

     Larksong set Wrenkit down, and quickly explained to Heatherstar, “We found them wandering on the moor. They say they need to speak with you.”

     Heatherstar studied the patrol with a cool expression, but Blazeheart thought he could see surprise and sympathy there. “Very well,” she mewed evenly. “I'm here. You can speak with me now.”

     Blazeheart glanced back at his Clanmates, a few of whom nodded in his direction. He took a step towards Heatherstar, rasping, “Last night, the Dark Forest attacked our camp.” Cries of fear and surprise rose from the listening WindClan cats, but Blazeheart ignored them and pressed on. “We had no warning for the attack. There were too many of them for any Clan to beat alone; we were driven from our camp, and scattered from our Clanmates. We sheltered in an old fox den overnight, but Dark Forest patrols are already searching our territory for any survivors, and we haven't been able to find any of the rest of our Clanmates.” He lowered his head respectfully to the leader, mewing, “We have come to ask for WindClan's shelter. Our kits are not safe on ThunderClan territory now, and many of my Clanmates are injured and need the help of a medicine cat.”

     Sadness glowed in Heatherstar's eyes for a moment. “Kestrelflight is dead,” she informed the newcomers. Blazeheart blinked in shock, and he heard a surprised mew from Ivypool. “With greencough in the camp, and two warriors dead, Icefur is overworked as it is.” She paused, letting her words sink in. Her expression softened as she continued, “But ThunderClan helped my Clan when our home was stolen from us. I am glad to repay the favor now.”

     She flicked her tail, glancing over the patrol as she mewed, “You can stay, all of you. All of the Clans must help each other in times like these; there is no point in dividing ourselves when the might of the Dark Forest threatens us all.” She glanced at Wrenkit, mewing softly, “You can move your kits into the nursery, and I'll talk to Icefur about seeing to your injured cats.”

     Relief nearly took Blazeheart off of his paws. “Thank you, Heatherstar,” he rasped. He could hardly believe that his plan had worked, and that he'd managed to bring his Clanmates to safety.

     Heatherstar regarded the tom seriously for a moment. “Don't get your hopes up too high,” she warned the warrior. “Herbs and prey have been hard to come by, and there are many sick cats here. We will require you all to hunt and contribute to the Clan while you're here, though there isn't much to find. Your Clanmates may be no safer here than they were in ThunderClan territory.”

     “But at least we're not alone,” Ivypool murmured, glancing up at Heatherstar. “ThunderClan thanks you for your generosity, Heatherstar.” She sighed, looking back at her Clanmates. “Or what's left of it, anyway.”

     Heatherstar just gave a small nod in return. “You're all welcome.” She glanced at Larksong, mewing, “Take the kits to the nursery, and ask Darkbreeze and Honeyheart to look after them for now. After that, let Icefur know she has more patients, and get some cats to show the warriors and apprentices to dens they can sleep in. And if you can, organize another hunting patrol. We'll need more prey now that there are more cats in camp.”

     Blazeheart felt exhaustion tugging at his paws. More than anything, he wanted to join his Clanmates in a cozy den and get some rest. But as he glanced around the camp, he could see warriors just as starving as his own Clanmates, and a fresh-kill pile too small to fed all of them. His Clanmates would be lucky if they got anything to eat tonight. His work wasn't done yet.

     “If it's all the same to you, Heatherstar,” he mewed, “I'd like to be on that patrol.”

     Heatherstar glanced at him, surprise in her gaze, before giving a small nod. “Very well.”

     Blazeheart's gaze swept over the watching WindClan camp, unease pricking at his pelt. For so long, he had felt a prick of shame whenever he thought of his WindClan heritage. Though he was taller than most WindClan warriors, his lithe form and swift paws made him look more WindClan than any of his family. He'd always tried to hide his WindClan traits, and present himself as just a normal, loyal warrior of ThunderClan.

     Whenever the boundaries between Clans had begun to fade too much, it had always worried him. The Clans were safest when they stood apart and didn't grow too attached, and his loyalties were clearest when he didn't have to worry about growing close to the other Clans. All he wanted was to be loyal to his Clan, and for his Clanmates to respect him as a loyal warrior. When the boundaries between Clans grew more blurred, it complicated that loyalty.

     But after everything the Clans had gone through, he knew that whatever issues it might cause later, the Clans were strongest when they stood together. They were going to need each other for whatever waited ahead. And for once, he finally saw his WindClan traits as an advantage, not something to hide. He had always prided himself on his hunting; now, he would do everything he could to become the best moor hunter he could for his Clan. It didn't matter how he hunted or where he learned it from, he could see that now. What mattered was that his Clan got fed, and the cats he cared about most were safe. That was true loyalty.

     He could only hope that the prophecy would be fulfilled soon, the war would be over, and ThunderClan could return to its rightful home. _And that my sister doesn't have to sacrifice her life to win our safety._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This turned out to be a long one too. ^^ But I definitely wasn't cutting it in two after last time, so a long chapter is what you get instead. :P Ah well. Also, see if you can catch the title drop/EOTW reference I made in the chapter. ^^
> 
> So, Blazeheart manages to find three more Clanmates, and they all manage to escape to WindClan together. But Ambertalon, Screechkit, and a whole bunch of other cats are still missing. ^^
> 
> We also learn that Kestrelflight is dead. He was killed by the greencough he contracted in Darkbreeze's last chapter, he had overworked himself so much from trying to treat his Clanmates that he succumbed in a matter of days. He was led to StarClan by his mentor Barkface. Icefur is now the full medicine cat of WindClan.
> 
> I thought I could manage without the chapter that I said I would probably cut, the one I mentioned in the notes of one of the last two chapters, I forget which one. But now I'm thinking I might need it. I dunno, do you guys mind if this book has one more chapter than all of the others? It would be neater if they all had twenty-six chapters, but we'll see.
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter done soon, but I'm starting school again on Monday, so we'll see.


	20. Chapter Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snowstorm continues to rage

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Eighteen

     “Darkbreeze?”

     The queen glanced over at the kit sitting beside her, trying to ignore the terrible hunger clawing at her belly. “What's wrong, Jaykit?” she asked.

     Silentstorm's daughter gazed at the gray queen with wide, sad eyes. Darkbreeze had been looking after the kit of her best friend ever since the ThunderClan survivors had come to WindClan's camp. While Darkbreeze tried to be as comforting as she could to the kit, she knew that Jaykit still missed her mother, and her sister. “Do you know when Lightfoot is getting back from his patrol?” Jaykit asked quietly.

     “He's supposed to be out until sunhigh, I think,” Darkbreeze told the kit. “And Blazeheart is staying out longer.”

     ThunderClan warriors had been staying in WindClan's camp for ten days, ever since they had lost their camp to the Dark Forest's attack. Ever since they'd arrived, a horrible snowstorm had been raging without end. Even now, the wind was shrieking outside of the nursery, and the snow was just piling higher and higher. Darkbreeze had never seen a storm like it; snow had been falling for ten days straight, and hunting was worse than it had ever been. Quickhare had already succumbed to the cold and his illness, and more cats had fallen ill. They'd had to skip the Gathering five nights ago because it was too dangerous to travel in the storm. Hunting patrols went out as a necessity, but they rarely brought back prey anymore, and border patrols had been all but forgotten about. WindClan was desperate, and every instinct was turned now toward survival.

     Whenever Lightfoot wasn't on patrols, he was in the nursery visiting Jaykit, doting on his daughter. Blazeheart was the same way with Wrenkit, though he was out hunting whenever he got a chance. Both toms seemed desperate to look after their daughters now that their mothers were gone. Ambertalon was just missing, but Lightfoot and Blazeheart had told her and Nightfern about what had really happened to Silentstorm. It had been a shock to learn the reality of the prophecy, and the one-on-one battle to the death that Silentstorm would have to win to keep the Dark Forest from taking over. But at least she knew the truth now, and that Silentstorm was probably out trying to fulfill it now. It was more than they knew about the rest of ThunderClan's fate.

     Jaykit sighed, then got to her paws, coming to snuggle closer to Darkbreeze's belly. Darkbreeze's own kits were all close to their mother's belly, wriggling around and mewling for milk that Darkbreeze was too ill-fed to produce. A half moon after being born, their eyes had opened, and their ears had unfolded. They had gotten better at crawling around, but they hadn't tried walking yet. Jaykit was clearly affected from losing her sister and mother, but she kept herself occupied by helping Darkbreeze look after her kits.

     Currently, the rest of the kits were closer to Honeyheart's nest, sharing a hare's leg between them. Prey was so scarce these days that even the queens and kits couldn't have a whole hare anymore. The rest of the hare was being shared among the elders and the apprentices. If the hunting patrols didn't return with more, that one hare might be all that the Clan had to eat for today. The Clan had gone from feeding the kits and elders first, to rotating who got to each on which days, just so that everyone didn't starve. They still tried to give the biggest portions to the weakest cats, but it was clear that none of them could go on much longer with this little to eat.

     While Honeyheart's four kits shared the hare's leg between them, Wrenkit was chatting with Heatherstar's kits. Firekit, Eaglekit, and Ashkit were the oldest kits in the nursery now, other than Wrenkit, and often let the younger kits eat first. It was frightening to see how closely their pelts were starting to cling to their bones, and now that Wrenkit and Jaykit were letting other kits eat first, they were starting to look just as bad. Darkbreeze often gave them her shares, desperate to keep the kits of her friends healthy.

     While the other kits mingled, Jaykit crouched beside Darkbreeze's young kits, grooming them and keeping them warm. “Cottonkit always squirms when you're grooming her,” Jaykit mentioned to Darkbreeze, her whiskers twitching with amusement as the kit wriggled, mewling in protest. “She doesn't like to sit still.”

     Darkbreeze purred in amusement. “WindClan cats never like to sit still,” she told the kit. “That's how we've survived on the moor for so long – we always want to run when the wind tugs at our pelts.” Jaykit gave a small purr of laughter, looking up at Darkbreeze with a lighter expression than before. “I hope all of my kits grow up to love the moor like I do.”

     “Even though they're half kittypet?” Jaykit asked, tipping her head curiously.

     The queen sighed. “Having a kittypet for a father doesn't mean they won't run like WindClan warriors,” she told the kit. After a moment's thought, she added, “Though, having WindClan parents doesn't necessarily mean they would like running, either.”

     Jaykit nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. “Mousekit and Oatkit aren't Clanborn at all, but they're as good at stalking and pouncing as any ThunderClan kits,” she mewed.

     “I'm part ThunderClan, part kittypet, and part WindClan,” Wrenkit called from where she sat. She approached Darkbreeze and Jaykit, coming to sit in front of them. “And my mother is half ThunderClan, half kittypet. But she's one of the best fighters in the Clan!”

     Heatherstar's kits scrambled after their ThunderClan friend. “And we're half WindClan, half rogue,” Firekit piped up, pride flashing in her amber eyes. “But we're going to be the best moor runners there ever were!”

     Darkbreeze purred, her whiskers twitching. But her amusement faded quickly. The kits in front of her were staring up at her with so much hope, but there was a tired glaze to their eyes as well. She had never seen such badly-fed kits in her life, not in all of the leafbares she'd seen. She could count the ribs on every last one of them, even her own young kits. Grief clawed at Darkbreeze's gut – if these kits didn't get properly fed soon, they wouldn't make it through leafbare.

     Restlessness had been tugging at Darkbreeze's paws for the last few days. But now, seeing such desperate kits looking up at her, looking to her for hope, she'd had enough. She gently nudged her kits away, then pushed onto her paws. “I need some fresh air,” she mewed. “I'll be right back.” She glanced at Honeyheart, mewing, “Would you mind keeping the kits warm for a few moments? I'll send someone in to look after them soon.”

     “No problem,” Honeyheart rasped. The tabby-and-white's pelt was ungroomed, her eyes glazed over with grief. Darkbreeze felt a pang of sympathy as she looked at the younger queen; her mate had died only days ago, she had to raise four kits on her own, and Heatherstar was often out of the nursery these days to hunt for her Clan, leaving Honeyheart and Darkbreeze with three more kits to look after. Darkbreeze resolved to send in someone to help look after the kits, even if she didn't stay out of the nursery long. It was hardly fair to expect Honeyheart to look after twelve kits on her own, even for a short while, in the state she was in.

     The wind nearly knocked Darkbreeze off of her paws the moment she stepped paw out of the nursery. She sank into the snow all the way up to her shoulders, having to lift her head to keep her muzzle out of the snow. It took forever just to cross the distance between the nursery and the old badger's den that was being used for some of the warriors. She ducked into the den, shaking the snow from her pelt, to the surprise of the warriors inside.

     “Watch it!” Gorsewhisker hissed, scrambling back as snow went flying off of the tabby. “We've been trying to keep dry in here!”

     “Sorry.” Darkbreeze peered further into the den, until she saw the cats she was looking for. “Nightfern, Wetwhisker, can I speak with you, please?”

     The couple exchanged a puzzle glance, before rising to their paws. “Sure thing,” Nightfern mewed. She and Wetwhisker followed after Darkbreeze, letting her lead them out of the den and into the snow.

     Darkbreeze took them to a burrow on the other side of camp. “Come on,” she called over the howl of the wind. “We can talk in here!”

     Once they were safe inside the den, Nightfern turned to her sister. “What did you need to talk to us about?”

     The tabby held her head high, tail lashing. For the last moon, she had watched her Clan suffer, and she was tired of it. “I'm going to find catmint for our Clanmates,” she growled. “I want you two to come with me. We can find what we need in the city.”

     The two cats blinked at her in surprise. “How?” Wetwhisker asked bluntly. “We couldn't even make it to the Gathering island in this storm; how are we supposed to make it all the way to the city?”

     “I don't know,” Darkbreeze admitted. “But we have to try. It's bad enough every cat is starving without half of the Clan waiting to die of greencough.” She looked desperately between her sister and Wetwhisker, urging them, “If we don't find catmint soon, the whole Clan's going to get sick. We _have_ to do something.”

     In truth, this was something that had been building for a while. Darkbreeze had been restless ever since they'd lost Tunnelshade at the border, desperate to do something to help her Clan. She'd been stuck in the nursery, forced to watch her Clanmates suffer, unable to do a single thing to help them. All the while, her Clanmates had grown sicker, more hungry, and were dropping like flies. It had to stop, and Darkbreeze was tired of just sitting back and doing nothing to stop it. Not when she knew exactly where to find the catmint that her Clanmates so desperately needed.

     Nightfern looked thoughtful, but Wetwhisker still seemed puzzled. “The last time any cat tried to pass the border, the Dark Forest drove them back,” he reminded Darkbreeze. “They murdered Tunnelshade. How are three cats, even less well-fed than before, supposed to do any better?”

     “The Dark Forest already has control of ThunderClan's territory,” Darkbreeze argued. “Maybe they won't be guarding the border anymore. Even if they are, maybe there won't be as many cats there, now that they're focusing on hunting down ThunderClan cats.” She wasn't even sure if she believed her own words. But she knew that they had to try. If they didn't get these herbs soon, her Clanmates would die anyway. If she was going to die, she would rather die fighting to get past the border to save her Clan, rather than sitting around waiting to either starve or get sick. “Come on. If we tell Heatherstar, she'll try to stop us. But if we sneak out, we might be able to make it. This could be the only way left to save our Clan.”

     Nightfern and Wetwhisker exchanged an uncertain glance, before Nightfern gave her mate a small nod. “Thicketshade is sick, and getting worse,” she reminded her mate quietly. “He'll die soon if he doesn't get treated. So will the rest of our Clanmates. Darkbreeze is right – we have to do something.”

     Wetwhisker hesitated. Then, after a moment, he hung his head with a sigh. “You're right,” he rumbled. “I've already lost two kits. I'm not going to sit back while my son gets worse. If you're really going out there, I'll come too. My son needs this, and WindClan needs this.”

     Darkbreeze sighed, relief washing over her. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Now, the only thing left to do is find someone to stay with my kits.”

     “I think I can help with that.”

     Every cat spun around, pelts fluffing out in shock. A cat was standing in the entrance to the den, wearing an amused expression. The cat stepped took a step towards them with glowing amber eyes. With a jolt of surprise, Darkbreeze recognized Nightcloud.

     The elder padded into the den, every rib visible through her patchy black pelt. “So, going on a little trip, are you?” she rasped, a merry twinkle in her amber eyes. “Without telling Heatherstar? That's against the rules, that is.”

     Wetwhisker pinned his ears back, a low growl in his throat as he glared at the former rogue. Nightfern just seemed uncertain, staring between Wetwhisker and Nightcloud. Darkbreeze watched the elder uneasily, not sure whether to be suspicious. “What about it?” she asked defiantly.

     Nightcloud's whiskers twitched. “Relax, young cat,” she mewed, looking amused. “I'm not going to run off to tell Heatherstar.”

     “How do we know you're telling the truth?” Wetwhisker demanded in a rough tone. The tom had always been slow to trust the cats who had come from Breeze's group, though friendly enough to the kittypets and rogues who had aided them.

     Nightcloud glanced at him for a moment, before turning back to Nightfern and Darkbreeze. “Because I don't want to see my Clan suffer any more than any other cat,” she mewed, her tone serious now. “I blamed these cats too long for something that I had my own fault in. I've seen how hard the Clans have tried to be better, and my loyalty is here now, more than ever before.” Her gaze was imploring as she added, “And I trust you, the two of you.”

     The elder sighed, sadness glowing in her eyes. “You're both better cats than me or my son ever were. I owe Heatherstar for raising you so well, when my son and I turned our backs on you. I want to make up for it.” After a moment, she lifted her chin, her expression becoming determined. “Our Clan needs catmint, and if you say you can find it, I know you will. I'll keep your secret, and I'll look after your kits and keep them safe while you're gone.”

     Darkbreeze held Nightcloud's gaze for several moments. For the longest time, she had hated Nightcloud just as much as she hated her father. After all, Nightcloud hadn't just abandoned her to join Breeze in exile; she had helped him try to destroy the Clans. When she had come to Silentstorm wanting to help gain allies for the Clans, Darkbreeze had been the least willing to trust her. But over time, Nightcloud had proved that she really wanted to atone for her mistakes, and help the Clans win their home back. Darkbreeze hadn't really accepted Nightcloud as family, but she had been willing to believe her, and accept her back as a Clanmate.

     And yet, this felt different. This was a level of trust that felt far more personal. But as Nightcloud calmly returned her gaze, Darkbreeze felt something in her soften. Nightcloud had really proved her loyalty to WindClan, and that she wanted to make amends. She was trying so hard to make up for the time lost. For so many moons, Darkbreeze had missed being able to have family around her other than her mother. And now, she finally felt ready to accept Nightcloud as family again, or at least make the first step toward it.

     “Alright,” she murmured. “Look after Jaykit and Wrenkit, too. They can help you look after the younger ones – they're good kits.”

     Relief glittered in Nightcloud's eyes as she dipped her head. “Thank you,” she murmured, almost too low for Darkbreeze to hear. When she lifted her head again, her expression was determined again. “I'll go now. Make sure you leave soon – you'll want to reach the border before nightfall, if you don't want to be caught sleeping in ShadowClan territory.” With a final flick of her tail, she turned and padded out of the den, leaving the three younger cats behind her.

     Darkbreeze turned to Wetwhisker and Nightfern, measuring their glances. “Are you ready to go?” she asked. Now that they had agreed, she was starting to feel the weight of her decision. They could very well be killed at the border, if they didn't freeze to death on the way there first. She could be leading these two to their deaths.

     Nightfern and Wetwhisker exchanged a quick glance, before turning back to Darkbreeze with a nod. “We're with you, Darkbreeze,” Wetwhisker mewed firmly, warmth for his mate's sister in his gaze.

     The tabby lifted her chin, lashing her tail with resolve. “Then let's go.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     The journey through the moor was one of the hardest Darkbreeze had ever taken on. The snow was so thick that they could barely move forward, and they had to hold their muzzles up above the snow in order to breath. The wind was shrieking in their eyes, the snow blasting into their eyes as they desperately tried to see more than two whisker-lengths in front of their muzzles. Wetwhisker stayed at he front of the group, using his greater bulk and height to beat down a path for the smaller she-cats. But even with the tom clearing their path, each step was a challenge.

     Darkbreeze felt a brush of guilt as she looked at her kin. Nightfern was shivering, trying to help Wetwhisker dig at the snow to clear their path. Wetwhisker kept pushing against the snow with his broad paws and shoulders, but weariness was starting to gleam in his eyes. The freezing wind was starting to work its way into their pelts, striking all the way down to their bones. But they had to keep going. Darkbreeze gritted her teeth. _Come on,_ she thought, moving to help Wetwhisker clear a path. _If Silentstorm can make it all the way to RiverClan in the middle of a massive storm when she was just an apprentice, I can do it too._

     She almost didn't realize when they finally passed out of the moorland and into RiverClan territory. When she started to recognize the territory, her heart leaped. “We made it off of the moor!” she called over the howl of the wind. “We're getting there!”

     Wetwhisker flicked his tail in acknowledgment, but his legs were shaking as he tried to push through more snow, his tail drooping. “I don't know how much longer I can do this,” he admitted, his mew shaking with exhaustion. Nightfern approached the tom, sniffing his pelt with a concerned expression.

     Darkbreeze felt a prick of concern. “Then I can take over for a bit.” She bounded past Wetwhisker, using her head and shoulders to push through the thick wall of snow in front of her. While Wetwhisker rested behind her, she was able to make some progress. But she snow was numbing her pelt, and she could feel exhaustion and cold spreading through to her bones. _Can we really make it all the way to the city like this?_ she wondered fearfully.

     Suddenly, the snow next to them began shifting, pushing out towards them. They whirled towards the moving snow, growling as two cats pushed through the snow to stand in front of them. Darkbreeze readied herself for battle, only to freeze in shock as she recognized them. “Eeltooth?” she gasped. “Finstrike? What are you two doing here?”

     Eeltooth and Finstrike stood blinking in shock at the WindClan cats, their pelts still covered in snow from having pushed through the snowy wall. Their thick pelts helped hide their thin frames, but as Eeltooth moved closer, Darkbreeze realized with a jolt that they were just as poorly-fed as WindClan warriors. “It was strange,” he mewed, speaking in a low tone that held none of his usually gruffness. “I was in camp when I had this weird vision. I could see some cat in the distance. I couldn't make out who it was, but they wanted me to follow them, and they led me to this spot. I told Finstrike about it, and convinced her to come with me.” His eyes glowed with shock as he looked over the small patrol. “I had no idea I'd find you out here.”

     “What's going on?” Finstrike demanded, though her mew was too weary to hold its usual suspicion. “Why are you on our territory?”

     Wetwhisker pinned his ears back, seeming unwilling to trust the RiverClan warriors too easily. But Darkbreeze had no such qualms. “We're trying to get to the city to look for catmint,” she told them. “Care to come with us? We could use some extra paws to get through this storm.”

     Finstrike pinned her ears back, clearly not ready to trust them, but Eeltooth brightened at Darkbreeze's suggestion. “Graymist and Robinwing have died of greencough already, and Mistystar lost a life,” he revealed to Darkbreeze, despite Finstrike's hiss of protest. “We're desperate for any catmint, and I'm sure the other Clans are the same.” He lashed his tail, giving an enthusiastic growl. “I'm glad to come.”

     His sister hesitated for a moment, before turning away with a growl. “Why do you always have to run off like a frogbrain?” she grumbled. “Fine. I want my Clanmates cured too – I'm coming.”

     Darkbreeze felt shaky with relief. “Thank you!” she purred, bumping her muzzle against Eeltooth's. “Come on, we want to reach the border out of Clan territory before dark.”

     Eeltooth snorted. “I should think,” he grunted, though his whiskers twitched in amusement. “I doubt any of us fancies spending the night in ShadowClan territory. Now, come on.”

     The two RiverClan warriors moved to the front of the group, taking over the job of digging out a path. They were fresher than the WindClan cats, who had crossed through a full territory and a half by now, and were able to pick up the pace. With five warriors switching off between digging, they were able to make better time. A steady path was being formed through the thick snow. But the going was still hard, and Darkbreeze could see that every cat was growing exhausted. She could see now why Heatherstar hadn't wanted them to go to the Gathering, but she knew they were too far now to turn back. No matter what happened now, they had to keep going.

     It seemed like moons passed before Finstrike finally called, “We're at the ShadowClan border!” Darkbreeze narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the snow to see ahead of them. She could just barely make out the outline of trees, the pine forest of ShadowClan looming in front of them.

     They were getting close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I can't believe I'm already on the eighteenth chapter of the last book. This feels like it's going by too fast.
> 
> Anyway, so we see Darkbreeze, Wetwhisker, and Nightfern have set off to try and find some catmint, and Eeltooth and Finstrike join them along the way after a mysterious vision. And we learn that Darkbreeze has been helping the toms look after Jaykit and Wrenkit. ^^ And we also see Darkbreeze start to make up with Nightcloud.
> 
> We also learn of a few more deaths:
> 
> Quickhare was led to StarClan by his father Onestar.  
> Graymist was led to StarClan by her mate Stonestream, who I have just now decided was her mate and father of her kits because I realized I never bothered to pick one for her.  
> Robinwing was led to StarClan by his mother Dawnflower.
> 
> And Mistystar has lost a life. ^^ Poor Mistystar - she's one of my favorite leaders of all time, if my obvious bias towards her in EOTW didn't already give it away. :P
> 
> I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but no promises.


	21. Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tortoiseshell queen watches the storm outside.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Nineteen

     The tortoiseshell sighed, curling tighter around the kits at her belly. Outside, the wind was howling as the snow blasted across the forest, and a freezing wind was weaving its way into the nursery, threading through the pelts of all of the queens. Kits mewled in desperate hunger as the storm raged on outside.

     As the tortoiseshell watched, a gray she-cat trotted through the nursery's entrance, shaking the snow from her pelt. “Here,” she murmured, tossing a half-frozen frog towards the tortoiseshell. “You two can share that.”

     The tortoiseshell queen blinked, looking at her mate in concern. “What about you?”

     Dewfrost gave small shake of her head, trying to sound unconcerned. “I'll eat later,” was all she said. She curled back up in her nest, drawing the three kits closer to her belly so they could nurse.

     Specklefoot watched her mate for a few moments, trying to think of any argument that would convince her to eat more, before turning away with a sigh. She would just have to make Dewfrost take the next meal. Neither one of them would survive long refusing to eat, and neither would the kits they were nursing.

     She glanced down at her belly, fondness and worry sweeping over her in equal measure. Petalkit, Rainkit, and Lizardkit were at her belly, mewling plaintively for milk that Specklefoot was too weak to give them. Hopefully, she'd have more to give them tonight, but the queen was growing more and more worried with how often her milk was drying up. If things kept going the way they were, she wouldn't have enough to get her kits through leafbare alive.

     There was one more kit sleeping beside Specklefoot's belly, older and larger than the rest. Her pale amber eyes fluttered Specklefoot nudged her with her muzzle, the kit trying to turn away to get more sleep. “Go 'way,” she muttered, curling in tighter on herself.

     Specklefoot's whiskers twitched. “Wake up, Screechkit,” she mewed, giving the kit another nudge with her muzzle. “Dewfrost brought us a frog to share.”

     Screechkit shifted, jaws splitting in a yawn as she pushed onto her paws. She seemed more alert as she trotted up to the frog, glancing at the gray queen. “Thank you, Dewfrost!” she called, some of her usual cheer returning to her mew. She and Specklefoot began sharing the frog between them, the queen making sure the kit had the greater share. In the nest next to Specklefoot's, Dewfrost was lying stretched so that Flowerkit, Shrewkit, and Robinkit could nurse.

     Ten days had passed since Dewfrost had returned to ShadowClan from ThunderClan's camp. To every cat's surprise, she hadn't come alone, but had returned with almost half of ThunderClan tagging along with her. She'd explained how the Dark Forest had attacked ThunderClan's camp and driven them from their home, and had asked Tigerstar to give the ThunderClan warriors shelter. The tom had agreed almost immediately, eager as ever to help and ally with the other Clans, and now the ThunderClan cats had settled into ShadowClan's camp.

     Lightningstrike was lying in a nest across from Specklefoot's, grooming Mousekit and Oatkit, but fear and worry glowed in her eyes. After a few moments, she pushed onto her paws, mewing, “I'm going to go check on Sunnyflower. You two stay with Smokeflight and her kits, and stay out of trouble.” Once she'd gotten mews of affirmation from her kits, the thin queen left her nest behind, padding out of the nursery's entrance.

     Specklefoot's whiskers twitched in amusement. According to Dewfrost, Lightningstrike had fought like all of LionClan to get Sunnyflower out of the den with the other sick cats, and get her safely out of camp. Now that they were in ShadowClan, Lightningstrike divided her time between her kits and Sunnyflower, looking after the sick warrior and trying to cheer her up. Specklefoot had seen the way that Sunnyflower looked at the former rogue whenever she visited, and the desperate fear in Lightningstrike's eyes as Sunnyflower grew more ill. It seemed that finding love in a cat not born in their Clan ran in the family.

     Squirrelflight had been among the cats to escape to ShadowClan with her Clanmates. She was out on a hunting patrol now, with Lionblaze, Sparktail, Dustyface, and Tigerlily. The deputy was clearly desperate to provide for her Clan, rarely taking a moment to rest between patrols, but the strain of it was starting to show on her bone-thin frame. Shadowstripe and Yewpaw had escaped as well, and seemed to be settling into ShadowClan well. While Shadowstripe spent much of his time hunting with Tigerstar and training his apprentice, Yewpaw had befriended many of her new denmates. She and Tawnypaw spent much of their free time chatting, or hunting for the Clans.

     But not all of ThunderClan's warriors were doing well in ShadowClan. Sunnyflower and Seedlight were still gravely ill with greencough, and were being kept in a den with ShadowClan's sick warriors. Badgercloud and Beetlepaw had gone from whitecough to greencough. Foxfoot was clearly making an effort to visit her old denmate as much as possible, but the medicine cats weren't letting healthy cats into the same dens as their sick Clanmates anymore, cutting them off even more from their Clanmates. Finchwing worked desperately with Twigclaw to try and treat their patients, but it was clear that without catmint, there was little that they could do.

     Specklefoot glanced at Screechkit, who had finished eating and was licking her paws clean. Lionblaze had risked his life to save the kit from the Dark Forest warriors attacking her. The kit had suffered a deep slice to one ear, but thanks to the efforts of her kin, she was alive. Specklefoot had offered to look after the kit, since neither of her parents had made it to ShadowClan, and had kept Screechkit close to her side ever since. The kit clearly missed her family, and being wounded by the Dark Forest had clearly had its effect on her, but her cheery personality was still intact.

     The kit caught Specklefoot's gaze, glancing up curiously at her. “Do you know when Dovewing will be back from her patrol?” she asked. “I want to ask her how Jaykit and Lightfoot are doing.”

     “I think she should be back soon,” Specklefoot answered. “She went with Shadowstripe and Tigerstar on their patrol, and they said they wanted to be back before dark.” Dovewing had been the reason most of her Clanmates ended up in ShadowClan, as she had tracked down some of the stragglers and brought them to Dewfrost's group before they left the territory.

     Once they'd made it to ShadowClan, Dovewing had used her powers to locate the rest of her Clanmates. The news was a great relief to her Clanmates; a good number of warriors had made it to WindClan, and the rest had been chased outside of Clan territory. Bramblestar had lost a life in the escape, but once he'd recovered, he and all of their remaining Clanmates had made it out of Clan territory. They were currently staying with Oaktooth and Chipmunk, according to Dovewing, and had been able to find the catmint they needed to cure their sick Clanmates. But with the Dark Forest guarding the borders once again, they had been unable to return to their Clanmates inside of Clan territory, and the raging storm meant that those still within Clan territory couldn't reach each other safely. For now, ThunderClan would have to remain divided.

     Rustling from the entrance to the nursery pulled Specklefoot out of her thoughts. A tiny gray she-cat pushed through the entrance, a sparrow in her jaws. She dropped the sparrow in front of Minktail, mewing, “Here – you didn't have anything last night, you and the kits need to eat today.”

     Minktail hesitated, before pulling the sparrow closer to herself. “Thank you, Ambertalon,” she murmured. The ThunderClan she-cat dipped her head, before turning and padding out of the den.

     Ambertalon had managed to escape to ShadowClan with her Clanmates, though it had come at the cost of being separated from her mate and daughter. Dovewing had been able to assure Ambertalon of their safety, but Specklefoot could tell that the queen was frustrated at being kept from them. Since she had no kit to look after, she had returned to full warriors duties, going on patrol after patrol to try and keep her Clanmates fed.

     Specklefoot sighed, glancing back at her charges. Screechkit was growing thinner by the day, as were her own kits. Every cat in the Clan was either sick, starving, or both. Dawnpelt, Pepperpelt, and Graytail had all succumbed to their illness, and the rest of the Clan wasn't far behind. Specklefoot feared that her Clan didn't have much time left.

     Suddenly, the nursery disappeared from around her. Specklefoot stiffened with shock as she found herself out in the middle of camp instead. As she swung her head around, trying to get a grasp on what was happening, she noticed a cat standing in the distance. They were too far away for Specklefoot to make out who it was, but as she took a step closer, she could see the cat was gesturing to follow her. Without hesitation, Specklefoot bounded after the cat.

     As much as she tried, even as she followed the cat, she couldn't get close enough to see who it was. The cat led her through the pine forest, bounding effortlessly through the snow, before suddenly disappearing. Specklefoot halted, confused, but there was no trace left of the strange cat.

     “Specklefoot?”

     Dewfrost's mew snapped Specklefoot back to reality. She stared around herself in shock; the snowy forest was gone, and she was back in the nursery. With a start, she realized that she had only been daydreaming – or had it been a vision? _A vision from StarClan, perhaps?_

     “Specklefoot, are you okay?” Dewfrost was staring at her mate in concern. “You were staring off just now, and you looked like you'd seen Brokenstar or something.”

     The tortoiseshell gave a quick shake of her head. “I'm fine,” she meowed. Inside, her mind was reeling. Had she really seen a vision from StarClan? It had been far too vivid just to be a daydream. But if it really had been from StarClan, what did it mean? A new thought came to her – did they want her to go to the place the mysterious cat had led her?

     Determination seized the she-cat. If StarClan wanted her to go to that place in the forest, then that was where she would go. For all she knew, this had something to do with Silentstorm's prophecy, and stopping the darkness. She wanted to do her part to save her Clan. The queen pushed onto her paws, mewing to Dewfrost, “Do you mind looking after the kits for a little while? I need to clear my head.”

     The gray queen seemed puzzled, but she didn't object. “Sure thing. Just be careful – it's dangerous out there with that storm.” Specklefoot flicked her ear in acknowledgment, then padded briskly out of the den.

     Freezing air blasted at her face and pelt the moment Specklefoot stepped out of the nursery. The snow was all the way up to her shoulders now, and she had to hold her muzzle up to keep from breathing in snow. Whatever StarClan wanted from her, it was going to be a hard trek. But she was determined to see what her vision meant. With her chin held high, the queen began pushing a path through the snow.

     The going was even harder than Specklefoot had expected. The snow stung her eyes like icy claws, the wind pushing her back with every step, and her claws and paws were numb from clawing a path through the snow. But she forced herself to keep going, following the path her vision had showed her as best as she could. Whatever her vision had meant, she had to reach where it had led. She could feel to the tips of her pelt that it was important.

     Finally, she reached the end of the trail her vision had led her on. As she pushed through the last of the snow, she nearly stumbled onto a beaten-down trail. To her shock, the cats that waited for her there weren't from StarClan at all. “Darkbreeze?” she mewed, stunned to see so many of her non-ShadowClan friends on her territory. “Eeltooth? Nightfern? What are you all doing here?” Wetwhisker and Finstrike were there too, their dark gray pelts dusted with snow.

     Specklefoot's friends seemed just as surprised to see her. “We're trying to get to the city to find catmint,” Darkbreeze called over the howling of the wind. Every hair on her pelt quivered with exhaustion, but she still managed to trot towards Specklefoot and bump her muzzle against the tortoiseshell's in a friendly greeting. “Why are you out here?”

      _Catmint. Of course._ Specklefoot suddenly understood why it had been so important to follow her vision, even if she still wasn't sure who had led her here, and why it had been her who had been chosen. “I had a vision,” Specklefoot mewed. She briefly explained what she'd seen to her friends.

     Eeltooth looked unnerved. “I had the same vision, only it led me to where Darkbreeze, Nightfern, and Wetwhisker were on our territory,” he explained.

     “What about you?” Specklefoot glanced curiously at Darkbreeze. “Was it a vision that brought you out here to look for catmint?”

     Darkbreeze shook her head, looking confused. “Only my own stubbornness,” she mewed. After a moment of thought, her expression grew more hopeful. “But if you two had visions that brought you out here... maybe it means that StarClan approves of what we're doing, and they want to help us?”

     Specklefoot exchanged a glance with Eeltooth. “It's certainly possible,” the tom mewed, looking thoughtful. “Maybe they're telling us we can get past the border today.”

     Hope pricked at Specklefoot's heart. “I hope you're right,” she mewed. The queen glanced at the wall of snow still before them, drawing herself up. “Well, come on. We better get going if we want to make it to the border before nightfall.”

     The tortoiseshell took over digging a path through the snow, letting her friends rest behind her. She led them along the quickest path to the border, pointing them towards the city. They worked in silence, too exhausted to speak, though Specklefoot had a thousand questions for her friends. One question especially pricked at the back of her mind. When Dovewing had used her powers to check on her Clanmates, every cat had been accounted for but one – Silentstorm. The black she-cat was nowhere to be found, no matter how hard Dovewing looked for her. From what she'd overheard from WindClan's camp, Silentstorm had escaped the camp with Blazeheart's group, but had vanished the next night without a trace. Specklefoot longed to ask her friends if they had any better idea of the queen's whereabouts, but exhaustion and the howling wind kept them all silent. _Ah well,_ she thought. _I can ask them when we rest for the night._

     As they neared the border, her apprehension only grew. Last time they had tried to cross the border, the Clan cats had been hopelessly outnumbered, and a WindClan had been murdered. She hoped their visions meant that this time would be different, but how could she be sure? What would they find when they got to the border? Would the Dark Forest still be there to defend it? Would there be less cats? Would it be abandoned? Or would they be outnumbered? _Are we walking to our deaths?_ a small voice in Specklefoot's mind whispered. She tried to push the dark thoughts away, but they kept creeping back into her mind as they neared the border.

     Finally, as the sky began to darken, they reached the border that led out of Clan territory. But as Specklefoot's paw brushed against the border, a screech rang through the air, and a mass of claws and muscle bowled Specklefoot over. From the shrieks and yowls Specklefoot heard from her friends, they were being attacked too. Her heart sank. _The Dark Forest is still guarding the border!_

     “Get off me!” Specklefoot snarled at the Dark Forest cat, a yellow she-cat with black stripes. She swiped at the tabby's muzzle, but the tabby ducked her muzzle down with a hiss, trying to sink her fangs into Specklefoot's shoulder. But Specklefoot pushed up against the she-cats muzzle, twisting around so she could hit the she-cat in the mouth with her shoulder. After a brief struggle, she was able to push the tabby off of her, panting as she tried to get a sense of the battle around her.

     Cold claws clutched at her chest as she realized they were outnumbered. Nightfern and Finstrike were back-to-back as they faced off against three massive warriors, Darkbreeze shrieked as a tom bit down near her spine, and Wetwhisker was roaring furiously as he took on two cats. Eeltooth tried to run to Darkbreeze's rescue, but a massive off-white tom dragged him away from her. Specklefoot bounded towards Darkbreeze, only to freeze as her attacker turned to face her. Her hackles flew up as she recognized the mottled pelt, the ginger-and-brown face with the mocking expression. “Hello, daughter,” the tom sneered.

     For the slightest moment, Specklefoot hesitated. Then fury took over. Before the tom could so much as blink, she flew at him, fangs aimed squarely at his throat. The force of her pounce took the tom off his paws, carrying him away from Darkbreeze as he struggled against Specklefoot's furious attack. Only moments later, her jaws were closing tight around his throat, and his life bled out from under Specklefoot's fangs. He struggled briefly, before falling limp in her grasp. Specklefoot didn't release her grip until the tom's image began to waver, then faded away completely, leaving her with empty jaws and a pool of blood at her paws.

     Darkbreeze had managed to get back to her paws, and was now making her way to Specklefoot's side. Her mew shook as she murmured, “Specklefoot, that was...”

     “I know,” Specklefoot said in a clipped mew. Redwillow's blood still stained her muzzle and paws, but she didn't bother to clean them. It would take more than grooming to wash her father's blood from her paws. But she felt no remorse or shame; instead, cold satisfaction pricked at her paws. Her traitor of a father was finally gone.

     The tortoiseshell waited a moment longer, then gave a fierce shake of her head. “Come on. Our friends need us.” Without another word, she turned away, racing back into the battle. After a moment's hesitation, Darkbreeze followed her.

     Even with Specklefoot and Darkbreeze back int the fight, it was clear that the Clan cats were losing, badly. Wetwhisker was lying motionless on the ground, blood trickling down the fur of his head. Finstrike was slowing from a wound on her shoulder, Darkbreeze was swaying on her paws, and every cat was outnumbered.

     As Specklefoot struggled against a black she-cat, she saw a large tortoiseshell bounding towards Eeltooth, eyes blazing with hatred. “This one's mine!” she shrieked, lunging at Eeltooth and sending the tom tumbling with her greater weight.

     “Mapleshade!” Darkbreeze gasped, staring at the tortoiseshell. She tried to run to Eeltooth's rescue, but two larger cats pulled her away with snarls.

     Eeltooth struggled desperately against Mapleshade, but the Dark Forest cat managed to pin him with her greater weight. She flashed glance of cruel amusement at Darkbreeze and her friends, even as Eeltooth struggled under her. “Well well,” she hissed. “Look who came crawling back.” She dug her claws into Eeltooth's pelt, making him gasp in pain. “We warned you what would happen if Clan cats tried to leave their territory. Now, you will all die.” She glared down at Eeltooth, fierce hatred blazing in her amber eyes. “And you, little fishface,” she hissed in his ear, digging her claws in deeper, “You are going to pay for the crimes of your ancestors.”

     Even as Specklefoot struggled to break free of her attackers and run to his aid, Mapleshade closed her jaws around Eeltooth's throat, growling fiercely as blood spurted from under her fangs. Eeltooth screeched his pain, but Mapleshade's grip was fierce, and his struggles were clearly growing weaker.

     “ _Ree-ee-owr!_ ” Without any warning, a mass of black fur slammed into Mapleshade, carrying her off of Eeltooth. Before Mapleshade could so much as snarl, claws came crashing towards her, tearing her throat open in one clean swipe. Mapleshade stared at her attacker, eyes bugging in shock, before crashing to the ground. After a few moments, she faded away to nothing.

     The rest of the Dark Forest cats weren't given time to react. Specklefoot froze, watching the battle in front of her with stunned disbelief. The black cat was moving faster than a living cat had any right to, flying from enemy to enemy with the ferocity and strength of TigerClan. In one moment, her claws were slicing through a dark gray tom's throat, in the next, she was biting through the spine of a ginger tabby. One strike from her paw was enough to send a tortoiseshell flying back, the force of it snapping her neck. In what seemed like a matter of moments, almost half of the Dark Forest cats were dead and faded.

     The battle came to a screeching halt. All of the remaining Dark Forest cats were staring at the black cat in stunned horror, their pelts bristling in shock and fear. The black cat had their back turned to Specklefoot; she almost felt like the cat was familiar, but she didn't know how. The Clan cats took advantage of their enemies' distraction, wriggling free and scrambling to their paws, but they didn't run or attack. Instead, they watched the black cat in equal awe.

     “Leave this place now, and do not return.” The voice that emitted from the black cat was ringing with power and authority. “This border is no longer yours to command. Let these cats pass, and if you try to bar the Clans from passing again, I will kill you all.”

     Specklefoot was stunned to see how frightened the Dark Forest cats were of this cat. After exchanging glances for a few moments, they began to back away, then turned and fled. Every single one of them had disappeared before they reached the snowy walls. Specklefoot stared after them, stunned at how quickly the battle had ended, and at the ferocious attack of the black cat.

     After a few moments, Nightfern took a step towards the black cat, who still faced away from them. “Thank you for saving us,” she mewed quietly. She tipped her head, mewing, “Who are you?”

     For several moments, the black cat didn't move. Then, finally, the cat turned to face them. Specklefoot froze in shock, her hackles flying up, and she heard a gasp from Eeltooth. But it was Darkbreeze who cried out the name that had sprung to all of their minds.

     “Silentstorm!”

     There was no mistaking the cat's likeness to Silentstorm. The powerful body, the sleek black pelt, the white stripe between the blind gray eyes. She had the same scars as Silentstorm, as well as some new, half-healed wounds. But even as Specklefoot recognized the body and appearance of Silentstorm, she could immediately recognize that it wasn't her friend standing before her. The light in her gray eyes, the way she held herself, the starlight that seemed to sparkle in her pelt, even her starry scent, were all that of a different cat. Specklefoot couldn't explain it, but somehow, she knew that the cat in front of her was not Silentstorm.

     The cat who was Silentstorm and not Silentstorm dipped her head. “You will be able to pass safely out of Clan territory now,” she rumbled. Specklefoot's pelt prickled uneasily. The voice that had come from Silentstorm's mouth was a completely different voice than Silentstorm's, though she could she could hear a trace of her friend in there. “In the city, you will be able to find what you need. Go now, before it grows dark.”

     “Silentstorm, what are you talking about?” Eeltooth asked, looking shaken.

     He tried to approach the she-cat, but Darkbreeze cut him off, her expression grim. “I don't think that's Silentstorm anymore,” she murmured, looking at the ThunderClan cat with confusion and fear in her blue eyes. The tabby took a step toward the black cat, hackles bristling. “Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?” she demanded in a low growl.

     For a moment, something softened in the cat's gray eyes. Her mew sounded more similar to Silentstorm's as she said, “Your friend is safe. But for now, she cannot join you. The prophecy must be fulfilled.” Her tone grew more powerful as she continued, “Go now – your Clanmates need that catmint. Their time is running out.” Without another word, Silentstorm began to fade, disappearing in front of their eyes.

     For several moments, every cat stared at the place where Silentstorm had stood, too shocked to speak. Finally, Finstrike breathed, “What in StarClan just happened?”

     No cat seemed to have an answer. The silence was only broken by Wetwhisker's groan. He had been lying motionless in the snow, but now he lifted his head, blinking blearily. “What happened?” he groaned.

     Nightfern bounded to the tom's side, pressing her muzzle against his. “Shh, don't try to move too much,” she murmured, gently rasping her tongue over his head. “You were knocked out during the battle.”

      _Which means he didn't see Silentstorm,_ Specklefoot thought. _But we did._ She was still in shock over what she had seen. One of her closest friends had demolished a whole patrol of Dark Forest cats without so much as a scratch on her, then had disappeared. What had happened? Was she dead, and a StarClan warrior now? But that wouldn't explain why her voice and scent was different. There was something else going on, something Specklefoot couldn't understand yet.

     Darkbreeze sighed. “Come on,” she mewed to Nightfern and Wetwhisker. “We still need to get to the city. Rest for a moment, and then let's get going.” She glanced meaningfully at the others, mewing quietly, “And on the way, I can tell the rest of you what I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, I'm going through these chapters so fast now, and I still have stuff to plan. I really need to slow down...
> 
> Anyway, here's the new chapter. ^^ First, we learn that half of ThunderClan, including Screechkit and Ambertalon, have escaped safely to ShadowClan. ^^ Dewfrost is still nursing Seedlight's kits while she's sick, and Specklefoot has been looking after Screechkit. :D A lot of cats are still sick, but at least they're safe in ShadowClan, and the rest are staying with Chipmunk and Oaktooth outside of Clan territory, and they've cured their sick cats.
> 
> A few cats have died since, however.
> 
> Dawnpelt was led to StarClan by her brother Flametail.  
> Pepperpelt was led to StarClan by his mate Dawnpelt (he died after her). Now their poor kits have no parents.  
> Graytail was led to StarClan by Dawnpelt, who had been in the nursery when Graytail was growing up and helped raise her.
> 
> We also get to see some Dark Forest cats die, but since they just go *poof*, they aren't led anywhere by anyone. ^^ It's nice to see Maplehade finally bite the dust, though. You can make an argument for being sympathetic for her before she died, but after she died, she seemed to relish in being evil and hurting as many cats as possible. There are cats I'd prefer to leave in the Dark Forest because it feels like staying there would be a real punishment for them, but Mapleshade seems to enjoy being in the Dark Forest too much. Having Silentstorm kill her felt more satisfying. And Redwillow is dead too, at his own daughter's paws. ^^
> 
> Silentstorm's friends got to see her at her full power, and have now realized that something serious has happened to their friend, but they don't quite know what yet. But at least now they can travel safely to the city. ^^
> 
> I think that's all I wanted to cover here. I'll probably wait a bit before posting the next chapter. I have a bit I want to plan out first, and I want to savor these last seven or so chapters.


	22. Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Darkbreeze and friends leave for the city, they don't notice the cat watching them leave...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty

     As the seven cats padded away from the border, none of them noticed the cat standing silently in the snow, listening to them leave. The cat stood still and silent, even as the storm raged all around them, their gray eyes void of emotion. But inside, turmoil was raging.

      _“My friends.”_ The voice of Silentstorm stirred within the mind of the Silent One. Rock and Silentstorm were able to merge their minds and will together seamlessly enough to create a singular presence most of the time. But at times like this, when the half that was Silentstorm felt a strong surge of emotions, they split into two voices in one mind. _“They were afraid of me. They didn't know what I was.”_

     Rock's rasping tone sounded next. _“There is nothing you could have done differently,”_ he assured his host. _“And now, they are safe to travel to the city.”_

     The Silent One gave a small flick of their ear, a small betrayal of the emotion within. _“I wish I could tell them why I had to leave.”_ Silentstorm murmured.

      _“Darkbreeze will tell the rest of them what she knows,”_ Rock reminded her. _“That will have to be enough.”_ His tone was firm, but not unkind, as he reminded the warrior, _“You cannot join them, Silentstorm. Not until our task is done.”_

     Silentstorm sighed, a quiet sound inside the mind of the Silent One. She knew that Rock was right. She knew everything that Rock knew, just as he knew what she did. Their minds were one now – all of their thoughts, their memories, and emotions, were sounded in each other's minds as clearly as in their own. Silentstorm's mind was filled with the countless seasons of Rock's memories, of prophecies, battles, ancient pasts, and various creatures that she had never before dreamed of. Most of the time, she and Rock were so intertwined in the mind of the Silent One, that she had trouble remembering that she was her own cat. The power that the Silent One held was exhilarating, but the feeling of being so detached from herself was strange, and sometimes frightening.

     But the point remained that Rock was right. She could not walk among her Clanmates as the Silent One. Like her friends, they would be able to recognize that the cat in this body was not Silentstorm anymore, and there would be suspicion and fear. As much as she missed her friends, family, and especially her kits, she could not go to them like this. Not until the job was done.

     But even in this state, with Rock in her mind, Silentstorm was stubborn.

     After several moments, the Silent One began padding forward, hardly seeming effected by the snow or the wind. Their mind was cast back to days ago, when the Silent One had first come into being. Silentstorm had made her sacrifice, the Silent One had been created, and Shade had fled the tunnels without a trace.

     The first thing that the Silent One had done was give Hawthorn a proper burial. The body that Rock had inhabited for so many moons, seasons beyond count, was so aged and wrinkled that it barely resembled the cat who had once lived in it. But even though it had been countless seasons since Hawthorn had left his body to walk among the stars, the Silent One had sat a vigil for him, and said the words passed down by Clan tradition that would grant him peace in the stars. When the vigil was over, and Hawthorn buried beside his family, the Silent One had set to work.

     Their first task was to seek out Shade. Now that the dark spirit was possessing Scorch, battle was imminent. But no matter how the Silent One used their powers, they could not find a trace of Shade anywhere. Shade's power was at its height, or near enough, now that she had a body again. It wasn't surprising that she was able to shield herself from the gaze of the Silent One.

     The body that Shade had possessed had been gravely injured. Though those injuries would heal faster than on any mortal cat, it would still take time. Until they had healed, Shade's body would not be at its full strength for the battle. The Silent One guessed that Shade would hide herself from their sight until she was fully healed, and had fully prepared herself for the battle to come. Shade would want the battle to be decided on her terms as much as possible.

     As much as the Silent One wanted the battle over and done with, they knew it would be pointless to search for Shade while she was hiding herself this way. All they could do now was wait for their wounds to heal, and do what they could to protect the Clans. The border was safe to cross now, and they would be able to find the catmint they needed in the city. And as long as The Silent One kept watch over the Clans, there would be no more attacks from the Dark Forest, at least until the battle began. It would be too risky for ThunderClan to try and reclaim their territory, as the Silent One guessed Shade might fight harder to keep that, just to spite Silentstorm. But even without that territory, the Silent One would watch over the Clans and protect them until the very moment of the battle.

     The Silent One had already had their paws full trying to keep the Clans, and Silentstorm's friends, safe. They had watched as Darkbreeze decided to brave the storm and try to cross the border for catmint, and they had known that there would be danger in that mission. So they had sent visions to the rest of Darkbreeze's friends, so Darkbreeze would be safer on the journey. Even with the Dark Forest cats out of the way now, there were still dangers beyond Clan territory, and it would only help to have more cats to carry back catmint.

     Snow continued to swirl violently around the Silent One as they padded along. This was no ordinary storm; the Silent One knew this. There was much that the Silent One knew that Silentstorm could have never known on her own, not without the Spirit of Light in her mind. The storm was of Shade's doing, a test of her powers, an extra measure to hide her location. And, no doubt, another attempt to starve out and torment the Clans. The Silent One hadn't countered yet because they had been recovering from the battle and seeking Shade. But now that they had won a decisive blow against the Dark Forest, they had turned the tide in their own favor, and Shade was likely to back off. Already, the storm was easing, the wind less violent as it pushed against the Silent One's pelt.

     The Silent One tried to feel some measure of hope. After all, they had just won a victory against the darkness. But they knew that it was no indicator of the battle to come. Shade was only allowing the storm to ease because, in the end, it would not matter if the Clans suffered now. If Shade lost the battle, she would not be able to harm them. If she won the battle, the Clans would never be safe from her again. This was simply the calm before the storm.

     It wasn't long before the Silent One reached their destination. ShadowClan's camp was quiet, now that night had fallen, but the Silent One knew that it had not been so earlier in the day. They had witnessed the panic and confusion as Specklefoot's Clanmates discovered that she was missing. That panic had subsided when Dovewing had discovered her traveling with friends outside of Clan territory, especially when they'd learned she was on her way to find catmint to save them. Now, the Clan was at rest, most of its warriors having retreated to their dens for the night.

     With a calm flick of her tail, the Silent One padded into the camp, right past the exhausted Snowbird who sat on guard duty. Just as when Rock was in Hawthorn's body, the Silent One was capable of walking unseen by living cats when they chose. As they walked into camp, they headed straight for the nursery, pushing past the entrance.

     The den was crowded when the Silent One padded inside. Minktail was curled around her own kits, but Smokeflight had left her older kits in their nest alone. She was instead lying in Specklefoot's nest, Seedlight's kits snuggled against her belly. Dewfrost was in the nest next to hers, twitching and whimpering in her sleep. Dreaming of Specklefoot, no doubt. Her own kits were at her belly, but there one older kit next to her, snoring lightly in sleep.

     For a moment, the Silent One paused, their pelt quivering as emotions surged inside of them. _“My daughter,”_ Silentstorm moaned, aching to reach out and touch her kit, lick her head and comfort her. But Rock held her paws back.

      _“Not yet,”_ he reminded her. _“It's not you. She would be frightened to see you like this.”_

     Silentstorm knew he was right; but she couldn't just leave her kit with nothing. Stubbornness took over, and she wrested control of the body from Rock, for a few moments. The Silent One reached their muzzle down, brushing it against Screechkit's pelt. The kit shifted in her sleep, giving a small purr. The Silent One could feel the kit's mind easing, her dreams turning brighter. Silentstorm could not do much for her kit now, but Screechkit would have comforting dreams tonight.

      _“Be strong, my brave little warrior,”_ Silentstorm murmured in the mind of the Silent One. Screechkit had gotten quieter after all of the hardships and trauma of the last moons. Silentstorm only hoped that, with time, Screechkit would regain the upbeat, nosy, bold personality that had been subdued so recently.

     The Silent One stayed near the kit for several more moments, reluctant to leave her, until finally turning away. They began heading for the nursery, but had disappeared before they reached the entrance. They reappeared on the moorland, feeling the wind sweep more easily over their pelt now that there were no trees to block the way.

     Just as before, the Silent One began padding steadily towards their destination. All was quiet as they padded into the WindClan camp. Duskpaw was sitting guard outside, tail brushing against the ground. The Silent One knew the apprentice to be energetic and talkative, but at the moment, Duskpaw was quiet and focused as she sat guard. Silentstorm recalled her courage during the battle in ThunderClan's camp; her brother's apprentice was really growing up. They Silent One passed the apprentice, padding silently into the hollow. Rock seemed to have resigned himself now to Silentstorm's will, and was allowing her most of the control of the body, for now.

     First, the Silent One approached the den that held some of the warriors. Cats were crowded together, pressing pelt-to-pelt to keep warm for the night. The Silent One approached one of the toms, who was twitching in his sleep. Blazeheart had been working himself to the bone the last ten days, going on patrol after patrol to keep his Clanmates fed and safe. The Silent One listened to the tom's uneven breathing for a few moments, feeling a brush of regret. He was working so hard for his Clan, but none of them would be safe until the battle was fought and won. They brushed their tail against his pelt briefly, then left the den behind, heading instead for the nursery.

     Heatherstar and Honeyheart were inside when the Silent One arrived, the queens curled around their kits. Nightcloud was inside as well, Darkbreeze's kits at her belly. The Silent One took note of each of them, but the reason she had come was the cat lying in the nest next to Nightcloud's.

     Lightfoot was lying in a moss nest, twitching and groaning in a fitful sleep. Jaykit was pressed against his belly, shivering in her sleep. The Silent One's pelt quivered, Silentstorm's emotion rising back to the surface. After Darkbreeze and Nightfern had left the Clan for the day, Lightfoot had come into the nursery to be with his daughter for the night. The Silent One knew how worried Lightfoot was about Silentstorm and Screechkit, how he was still grieving from the loss of how parents, and how desperate he was to keep what little of his family left together. The Silent One's breath caught. The cat Silentstorm loved so fiercely was hurting, and she couldn't be by his side. She lowered her muzzle to him for a moment, pressing it against his cheek. _“I love you, Lightfoot,”_ she thought, wishing he could hear her. _“I'll come back to you, when this is done.”_

     After a moment, she turned her attention from Lightfoot to Jaykit. The kit was pressed against her father's side, whimpering in her sleep. Jaykit had always been the more sensitive of Silentstorm's daughters, never sure of herself or her place in life as her sister. The Silent One knew she had taken the recent events harder than Screechkit had. But she knew, as well, that Jaykit was so much stronger than she realized. Her daughter was a compassionate, thoughtful, wonderful she-cat who would grow into a strong warrior one day. Silentstorm could only pray that she would be there to see that day.

     The Silent One reached down to touch their nose to Jaykit's pelt, feeling the kit grow still as her dreams took a more pleasant turn. _“Sleep well, my darling,”_ Silentstorm murmured. _“I'm watching over you, even now.”_

     For several moments, the Silent One remained where they were, standing over their family. But, finally, Rock began to tug at their paws. _“We must go,”_ he reminded Silentstorm. _“We must patrol the border, and make sure that your friends can return safely tomorrow from the city.”_

     Silentstorm hesitated, before backing down with a sigh. She allowed Rock to take them out of the den, the Silent One disappearing into the night. They had a job to do, and until Shade decided she was ready for the battle, they had to do everything in their power to keep the Clans safe.

     But this calm before the storm would not last for long. Soon, very soon, the battle would come that would decide the fate of light and dark, once and for all. And when it came, the Silent One could only pray that they had the strength to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I know this one is disgustingly short. But there's been a bunch of long chapters lately, and it shows an insight on the Silent One's mind. Plus, looking at the word count again, it's not even that horribly short. So I don't feel that bad about it. :P
> 
> So yeah, not much new on this one, mostly just getting a look on how the Silent One thinks and acts, and how Silentstorm and Rock work together to be the Silent One. But we also learn what the Silent One and Shade have been up to in the meantime, and why it's been snowing so much. And also who sent Specklefoot and Eeltooth those visions. ^^ And we see Silentstorm visit her family, if only briefly.
> 
> Not much else to say about this chapter. Next one will cover Darkbreeze and friends reaching the city, and will be in Darkbreeze's POV. That should be interesting. ^^
> 
> Also, I was thinking I could cut out this one chapter, but now I've completely rewritten the plot for that chapter, and I think it's kind of important/really good for wrapping up some character development to include... does anyone actually care if this book has an extra chapter? I know it'll bother me, because it would be so much neater for each book to have twenty-six chapters exactly, but do any of you guys actually care?


	23. Chapter Twenty One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The traveling cats leave Clan territory behind them.

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty One

     The small group of warriors hadn't traveled for long once they'd passed out of Clan territory. Once they were sure they were a safe distance from the border, they'd found shelter under a hazel bush and had turned in for the night. Specklefoot had offered to take the first watch, leaving the rest of the warriors to settle into the snowy bush, pressing against each other for warmth. Darkbreeze found herself pressed between Eeltooth and Nightfern, feeling the warmth of their pelts against hers as she finally drifted off into sleep.

     At first, her dreams were just vague colors and sounds, and the warmth all around her. Then, suddenly, the ground was solid under her paws. Darkbreeze blinked, surprised to see herself standing on sleek, wet pebbles. She was in a dark place, a cave or tunnel of some kind, with little light to offer.

     Before Darkbreeze had a chance to understand where she was, she heard a surprised mew. “Darkbreeze!” She turned to see Nightfern, Eeltooth, and Finstrike beside her, staring in equal surprise at their surroundings. Specklefoot was there too, looking stunned.

     “I... I didn't mean to fall asleep,” she stuttered, looking unnerved. “But my eyes started to close, and I couldn't stop them, and then I fell...”

     Eeltooth approached the she-cat, giving her a friendly bump of his muzzle against her cheek. “No one could blame you for that – we were all exhausted after that fight,” he grunted, not unkindly. “But where are we?”

     Darkbreeze felt her pelt prickling uneasily along her back. There was something outside – the sound of a stream running, maybe? But this water sounded different. “We're all dreaming,” she realized. “We must be. But why are we together?”

     Before she could contemplate further, she heard a shocked gasp behind her. The five cats turned to look behind them, only to stiffen in shock. Blazeheart, Ambertalon, and Lightfoot were standing together, blinking in surprise. Ambertalon stood a little apart from the other two, amber eyes glowing with confusion. “Darkbreeze?” Lightfoot mewed, looking confused. “Specklefoot? What are you all doing here?”

     Her reply was cut off by a joyous yowl. “You're here!” Blazeheart had been staring at Ambertalon at first, looking too stunned to believe she was there. But now he raced towards her, nearly tackling her in his enthusiasm. The two mates embraced, Blazeheart burying his muzzle against Ambertalon's neck, as though afraid she would disappear if he pulled away. For a moment, he paused, fear glowing in his eyes. “You're... you're not in StarClan, are you?” Darkbreeze's breath caught as she waited for the tiny queen's reply. Would StarClan really be that cruel, to reunite the mates only to pull them apart again?

     Ambertalon purred her amusement, bumping her muzzle against his neck. “No, mousebrain,” she purred, closing her eyes as her muzzle nestled against his neck. “I'm alive. The whole rest of the Clan is alive.”

     Blazeheart pulled back for a moment, staring at her with fierce joy in his eyes. “Really?”

     “What about Screechkit?” Lightfoot demanded immediately. “Please tell me she's alright!”

     Specklefoot took a step towards the tom, giving a reassuring purr. “Screechkit is fine,” she told the tom. “She got her ear nicked in the fight, but other than that, she's perfectly healthy. I've been looking after her in ShadowClan.”

     For several moments, Lightfoot just stared at Specklefoot, too overwhelmed with relief and gratitude to speak. Finally, he just dipped his head to the tortoiseshell. “Thank you,” he rasped, sounding too overcome with emotion to elaborate. Specklefoot just gave a small nod in reply, seeming to understand.

     “So the rest of the Clan is with ShadowClan?” Blazeheart asked Specklefoot curiously. He and Ambertalon were now standing side by side, her head pressed up under his chin. Darkbreeze guessed the two wouldn't separate until the morning woke them and forced them apart.

     “Not all of them,” Specklefoot told him. “But Dovewing is with us, and she can see where everyone is. The rest of your Clanmates are outside of Clan territory. They're staying with Chipmunk and Oaktooth.”

     Relief glowed in Blazeheart's eyes for a few moments. Then, confusion took over. “But what about you three?” he asked, turning next to Darkbreeze, Nightfern, and Wetwhisker. “You disappeared, no cat knew where you were. And why are we all dreaming together?”

     Darkbreeze hesitated. “I don't know why we're all here,” she mewed slowly. “But I can tell you why we left, and where we are.”

     Briefly, she explained their mission to find catmint, and what they'd seen at the border. Lightfoot and Blazeheart listened in horror and awe as they described Silentstorm's brutal attack on the Dark Forest cats. After they'd left the border, Darkbreeze had told Specklefoot and the others what she knew of the prophecy, but she still didn't understand all of it. Why had Silentstorm seemed like a different cat entirely? And how had she been able to disappear like that?

     “Great StarClan,” Lightfoot breathed when she had finished explaining. “What's happened to her?”

     For several moments, no cat spoke. Then a deep, gravely voice spoke behind them. “This I can answer for you.”

     All eight cats whirled around, bristling in shock. Darkbreeze's horror grew as she recognized the massive shape that had emerged from the shadowy tunnel behind them. The creature's massive, bulky body loomed over all of the cats, its long muzzle held out as it looked at the cats. Two beady, black eyes looked out at them from its striped faced, glowing with some emotion that Darkbreeze couldn't read. The warrior's back arched, her hackles bristling in fear. _A badger!_

     Most of the warriors had frozen immediately in fear. After a few moments, Finstrike took a step forward, lashing her tail. “Leave us alone!” she snarled, claws sliding out. Eeltooth stepped up beside his sister, pelt fluffed out to twice its size.

     To Darkbreeze's shock, the badger gave a throaty sound, almost like laughter. And then, even more stunning; the badger spoke. “No call for fear, young warriors,” the badger rasped in its gravely tone. “Friend am I to the Clans. I am Midnight.”

     Darkbreeze gaped at the badger, wonder slowly replacing her fear. She had grown up with the stories of the wise badger who could speak to cats, who had told the questing cats that the Clans had to leave the forest and seek a new home. Even after everything that she had learned about her best friend's prophecy, she had never imagined she would get the honor of meeting Midnight. All around the queen, her friends seemed to be coming to the same conclusion. Finstrike and Eeltooth had backed off, staring at the badger in wary awe, and Nightfern was blinking at the badger in confusion. Blazeheart and Ambertalon were still pressing against each other, ready to defend each other if necessary, but Lightfoot seemed awed to be seeing the legendary badger in front of him, and Specklefoot's eyes glowed with wonder.

     After a moment, Darkbreeze recovered from her awe enough to speak. “I never thought I'd get to meet you,” she mewed, her usual cheer returning to her mew as she took a step towards the badger. Midnight watched her approach, amusement gleaming in her small eyes. “It's an honor!” As she glanced around herself, she finally realized where they were. Behind them, the entrance of the cave took the shape of jagged stones that resembled fangs, and the water that lapped at the pebbles drew back and forth like the waves described in the stories. _We're at the cave at the sun-drown place!_ she realized, awe overcoming her.

     Finstrike managed to remain more practical than Darkbreeze and her gushing. “Why are we here?” she asked the badger, wariness still glowing in her eyes. But none of the cats here could be too suspicious of the badger; they had all heard the stories of Midnight since they were kits, and all of them considered the tales of the questing cats and the speaking badger as legend. And now, that legend had come to them in their dreams.

     “Much there is to discuss,” the badger grunted. “Too long to send sign, to meet in waking world. Too much will happen soon – you are needed by Clans, where you are.” She lifted her head, glancing past them. “Dawn will come soon – we must hurry. Much there is you must learn.”

     “What must we learn?” Eeltooth asked.

     Specklefoot's eyes glowed with interest. “Is it about the prophecy?” she guessed.

     Midnight inclined her head. “Clever, this warrior,” she rumbled. “Yes. Long have I known this prophecy, and one who gave it.”

     Darkbreeze stiffened. This could be their chance to finally learn everything about the prophecy. “Who?” she asked. “Who gave the prophecy?”

     Midnight watched the warrior a moment, something almost like pity in her gaze. “Rock is his name,” she finally rasped. “Once, he walked as Spirit of Light, guarding all power of light in world. Created your StarClan, the Tribe of Endless Hunting, all places where good spirits walk. Other spirit is Shade – Spirit of Darkness, who made Dark Forest and other places. They walked as equals, leading souls of dead to where they belonged, sharing power.”

     “What happened?” Lightfoot murmured.

     Midnight gave a sharp spitting noise, a gleam of anger in her berry-black eyes. “Shade,” she growled. “She grew greedy. Took what was not hers, let dark spirits loose on living. Shade wanted all power for only her. Rock fought to stop her, but at a cost. Both spirits lost power, and lost their bodies; they exist as mist. Now, Shade has found new body. Rock needed new body to fight her, and stop her forever, to make light and dark as one once more.”

     Horrible understanding crept over Darkbreeze's pelt. “Silentstorm,” she mewed aloud, feeling sick. “Silentstorm is the new body Rock needs for this fight.” No wonder her friend had seemed so different – another creature entirely had been controlling her body. Horror washed over her at the thought of being stuck in her own body, with another creature using her paws and words with no control of her own. _Poor Silentstorm!_

     The badger gave a small nod. “Yes.” For a moment, sympathy glowed in her eyes. “Do not fear, small warrior,” she rumbled. “Long have I known Rock. I lived at beginning of all things, as a simple badger, but we were friends. We watched the first sunrise over the lake together, I learned from him, and now I walk beside him as friend. He will not harm your friend – it is Shade she has to fear.” She glanced at the cave around her. “In places of spirits I can walk, but I find rest here, in cave beside the water. I give wisdom to living, sometimes from Rock, sometimes from others. And now, to you, I must give more wisdom. Come.”

     Puzzled, Darkbreeze followed after the badger as it began to walk into the back of the cave. The rest of the Clan cats fell in beside her. But as they padded further into the cave, the stone and pebbles fell away behind them, replaced by soft grass under their paws. Darkbreeze blinked, surprised to find herself on the open moorland, with a starry sky stretching over her head. It took her a few moments to get her bearings, but after a few moments, she realized where the badger had taken them. They were on in the hollow that had once served as Breeze's camp, where the Code's Battle had been fought.

     “Great danger lies in the battle ahead,” Midnight rumbled, coming to a halt. She gazed seriously at the warriors behind her, something her gaze that Darkbreeze didn't understand. “Even if light wins over darkness, life of blind warrior may be lost. If so, you must carry her legacy. The story of light triumphing over dark should be told – and if light loses, you must warn your Clans.” Her expression was grim as she added, “But if light should lose, warning will do little good. No escape will there be from darkness and death. Only hope for the Clans, and for all light, is the triumph of light in the battle to come.”

     She sighed, gazing up at the sky. “This storm has been building, seasons and seasons beyond memory,” she rumbled. “Light and dark have had uneasy balance, but darkness has crept closer to light. Now, finally, one will conquer the other. But which will win?” She glanced back at the warriors, her tone grim as she reminded them, “If light wins, still there will be a great cost. No victory comes without sacrifice. All cats must be prepared.”

     “Prepared for what?” Blazeheart asked, fear rasping in his mew. “For my sister to die? Is that what you're telling us, that she has to die for the light to win?”

     Midnight glanced at the tom with pity glowing in her eyes. “Is not clear,” she admitted. “For seasons, Rock and I see all things to come – but our vision stops here. Now, all things unknown. Except, that there will be loss, whoever wins. I have walked this world for seasons beyond seasons, and seen many things that seemed sure. But all things must end. And there is more you must know, more even than Silentstorm knows. Words you must pass onto Clans – but only when the time is right.”

     Suddenly, a light began to appear over the horizon. Darkbreeze watched as the first lights of dawn began to break over the moorland, chasing the darkness of night from the sky. Midnight's eyes glowed with the light of StarClan, her fur seeming to blaze with starlight as the light of dawn washed over her pelt. When she spoke again, there was none of the rasping hesitation of her earlier speech. Her voice was smooth, ringing with the power of StarClan. “Sacrifice in silence will bring the new dawn,” she told the listening warriors.

     Awe washed over Darkbreeze, her pelt bristling with it, but fear was there too. What did the badger's words, which rang with the power of prophecy, mean? “Is this another prophecy?” she murmured.

     “What does it mean?” Eeltooth asked, fear for his friend glowing in his eyes.

     But Midnight did not answer. Instead, Darkbreeze felt the grass falling away from under her paws, the growing light of dawn fading to a soft whiteness. The last thing she saw as the dream slipped from her was Midnight's face, still full of grave warning. “Have courage, young warriors,” she rumbled. “Soon, the storm will break. You will have need of it.”

     Darkbreeze jerked awake in her nest, blinking in shock. She was still pressed against Eeltooth and Nightfern, with Wetwhisker and Finstrike stirring beside them. Specklefoot was groaning outside, pushing back onto her paws. As each cat woke, they all glanced at each other, looking uneasy as they remembered their dream.

     “What... was that?” Eeltooth murmured, stunned awe and fear glowing in his eyes.

     “What was what?” Wetwhisker blinked curiously at the tom. He was the only one who didn't seem effected by the subdued mood of the den. Of the cats present, he was the only one who had not joined them in their dream, and he seemed to grow confused as he took in all of the serious expressions in the den. “Is something wrong?”

     Darkbreeze shook her head quickly. “Nothing,” she mewed briskly. She pushed herself onto her paws, shaking snow from her pelt. “Come on. The faster we get to the city, the faster we can get catmint back to our Clans.”

     They could save a conversation about this new part of the prophecy for later. Before Silentstorm could save the Clans from the darkness, they had to save it from sickness.

**SCENEBREAK**

     It was a surprise to every cat when they exited the bush and found that the snowstorm had stopped during the night. The clouds had finally parted, letting the sun shine down and warm the backs of the traveling cats. Even better, the sun's warmth had melted away much of the snow, leaving it only deep enough to sink their legs into, not to reach up to their muzzles. The going was much easier than the previous day, and the Clan cats reached the city before sunhigh.

     Specklefoot took the lead once they passed out of the forest, leading them back into the familiar maze of looming dens and stinking thunderpaths. Darkbreeze was surprised at how familiar the city felt, even though they'd left it moons ago. It had been their home, after all, even if only for a few moons. And even if she hadn't been able to keep it, she had found love here. _I could never stay here,_ she thought, following after Specklefoot as Eeltooth padded beside her. _But a part of my heart will always be here._

     The tortoiseshell led them straight to the familiar den. Specklefoot motioned for her friends to wait, then approached the partially-opened window, scratching lightly at the wood side of the den with her claws. “Rizzo!” she called out, stretching her muzzle towards the window. “Are you in there?”

     For a few moments, there was no reply. Then, a familiar black face appeared in the window. Rizzo stiffened in shock, her curled pelt fluffing out as she saw who was outside of her den. “Specklefoot?” she gasped, green eyes glowing with surprise. “Darkbreeze? Finstrike? What are you all doing here?”

     Fierce relief flooded through Darkbreeze at the sight of the kittypet. The first leg of their journey was over; now, they could rely on the kittypet to lead them through the city. She approached the window, giving a friendly wave of her tail. “Sorry to barge in like this,” she mewed. “But we need your help.”

     Rizzo snorted, seeming to get ahold of her surprise. “Yes, you Clan cats seem to need a lot of that,” she mewed, but there was no bite behind the insult, only amusement. “Hold on.” She pushed her skinny body between the windowsill and the clear surface of the window, then hopped down to the ground, the bell on her green collar jingling as she landed. Now that her surprise had faded, the kittypet's sense of brisk authority had resumed, her green gaze sharp with intelligence as it swept over the Clan cats. “Good stars, you all look like a puff of air could knock you over,” she mewed critically. “It must be a hard leafbare for the Clans.”

     “Harder than you can imagine,” Wetwhisker rumbled. “It's not just prey – greencough has spread through all of the Clans, and many cats have died.”

     Rizzo's eyes stretched wide with horrified sympathy. “I've seen cats sick with greencough,” she recalled. “Kittypets have their twolegs to look after them, and they can heal better than any herb, so it's not as dangerous for them. But I've known rogues and loners who have died of greencough. I'm sorry to hear that you've lost Clanmates to it.” After a moment, her gaze grew sharp with thought again. “But why come to me about it? I'm no healer.”

     “The only herb that can heal greencough is called catmint,” Eeltooth told the kittypet. “Our enemies have destroyed all of the catmint in our territories, but twolegs sometimes keep catmint in their gardens.”

     After a moment's hesitation, Darkbreeze admitted, “Cosmo told me once that his twolegs keep catmint in their garden. But we don't know where his den is.”

     For a moment, amusement lit Rizzo's gaze. Then, she grew serious again. “I don't know about catmint, but Cosmo's house folk definitely keep a garden,” she mewed briskly. “I can take you there. If there isn't enough catmint there, there are other dens I can think of that might have it. And I can get some cats together to help you carry it back to the Clans – if there are as many sick cats as you're saying, I don't know that seven mouthfuls will be enough.”

     Darkbreeze felt almost shaky with relief. “Thank you!” she gasped, feeling her pelt tremble. Rizzo just gave a small incline of her head in reply. Then, she started off, whisking her tail in a command to follow her. The Clan cats fell in behind her, following Rizzo's brisk trot as she led them through the city.

     Apprehension began pricking at Darkbreeze's pelt as they walked along, growing and growing into a terrible combination of hope, excitement, and fear. She felt like her heart was going to pound out of its chest when Rizzo finally halted. “This is Cosmo's den,” she told the Clan cats. She glanced critically around the thunderpath in front of the den, before determining, “His house folk aren't here; if their monsters aren't resting here, it means they aren't at the den. But Cosmo should be home.”

     Darkbreeze's heart was in her mouth as Rizzo approached the wall of the den, leaping neatly up onto a windowsill of an upper window. She tapped on the clear surface, calling, “Cosmo, are you in there?”

     At first there was no response. Then, a ginger-and-white faced peered out from the window. For a moment, his gaze locked with Darkbreeze's. Then he disappeared from the window. Fear pricked at Darkbreeze's paws, until a few moments later, Cosmo came bounding from behind the den. He nearly tackled Darkbreeze in his enthusiasm, purring fiercely and desperately as he pressed his muzzle against her neck. “Darkbreeze!” he gasped. The queen could feel the kittypet trembling as he pressed against her. “You came back!”

     All control of her thoughts, and her words, seemed to fly from Darkbreeze. All she could do was press her muzzle against Cosmo's neck, and breath in the scent of the cat she thought that she had lost forever. “Cosmo,” she breathed, feeling her own pelt trembling. Fierce love pulsed through her blood, filling her up until she thought she would burst from it. As much as she had tried to put her feelings for Cosmo behind her in the last moons, it all came flooding back now, and all she could think about was how much she loved the kittypet.

     Finally, too soon, Cosmo pulled back. Fierce joy was glowing in his green eyes, but also worry as he looked over Darkbreeze. “You look like you haven't eaten in moons!” he exclaimed, fear and worry lighting in his eyes. He finally looked over at the rest of the Clan cats, seeming to grow confused. “What's going on? Why are you all here?”

     Briefly, Nightfern explained their dilemma, and what they needed from him. A triumphant spark lit in Cosmo's gaze. “My twolegs keep catmint in the back garden!” he told the warriors. “I don't know if it's enough for what you need, but take all that you need. I'm sure my house folk can replace it easily.”

     “Alright, then let's get to work gathering it,” Rizzo mewed briskly.

     Cosmo moved as though to start leading them there, but Darkbreeze nudged him, pulling his attention back. “Rizzo, can you lead them to the garden?” she asked the kittypet, still looking at the tom. “We'll meet you there in a bit – but I have to talk to Cosmo first.”

     Rizzo glanced between the two cats for a moment, then shrugged. “I've been in the garden before – I can find it again,” she mewed easily. “Come on – if you warriors can point out which plants are catmint, I'll help you collect it.” She began leading Darkbreeze's friends away, taking them around the back of the twoleg den. Once they were gone, Darkbreeze felt her unease grow as she realized she was finally alone with Cosmo again.

     Cosmo seemed to sense Darkbreeze's anxiety. “Are you alright?” he asked softly. He pressed his pelt against Darkbreeze's, his thick pelt offering warmth against the cold. “You look like you've seen a badger.”

     Darkbreeze took a deep, shuddering breath. The moment had finally come to tell Cosmo the truth. She could only pray that he would understand, and wouldn't turn away from her for not telling him sooner, or for bringing him this news after they'd decided to say their goodbyes. “Cosmo, there's something serious I need to tell you,” she murmured.

     Worry glowed in Cosmo's eyes. “What is it?” he asked.

     It took Darkbreeze a few moments to summon the courage to say it. Finally, she lifted her head, meeting Cosmo's gaze. She forced herself to look him straight in the eyes as she admitted, “After I left the city, I found out I was expecting kits.” Cosmo stiffened, pelt fluffing out in shock. “Your kits, Cosmo. I had them half a moon ago.”

     For several moments, Cosmo couldn't seem to speak. He gaped at the queen, a thousand emotions flickering in his eyes, each one replacing the next. Fear, wonder, worry, joy, love, uncertainty. Finally, he managed to stutter. “I... I'm a father?”

     Hope exploded in Darkbreeze's chest, but she fought to reign it in, still not sure. “If you want,” she murmured. “They're your kits. But we decided to part ways – I'm not asking you to change your mind, or saying you have any responsibility to these kits. I made my choice, the same as you made yours.”

     Cosmo watched the she-cat for several moments, uncertainty in his gaze as he measured hers. “Do you want me to be a father to them?” he asked, almost seeming afraid of the answer.

     For a moment, Darkbreeze hesitated. She didn't want to make Cosmo feel any guilt for the choice he'd made. But after a moment, she sighed, pressing her muzzle against his neck. “I do,” she murmured. “Our kits are so wonderful, Cosmo. I love them so much – and I hope you can love them, too.”

     Cosmo seemed to sag with relief, his pelt trembling with it. “Of course I'll love them!” he exclaimed, purring deeply as he pressed his cheek against the top of Darkbreeze's head. “I never... I never thought about being a father. After you left, I didn't think I'd get to feel like this again... and now I have kits! Oh stars, I can't wait to meet them.” He pulled back, excitement glowing in his eyes. “How many are there? What do they look like?”

     Joy, relief, and love battled in Darkbreeze's heart. The rejection she had so long feared hadn't come; Cosmo wanted to love these kits as much as she did. “There's three of them,” she told Cosmo. “Cottonkit, Stormkit, and Heatherkit. Stormkit looks like me, a dark gray tabby, but with your white markings. Heatherkit is ginger-and-white, like you, but with more white. And Cottonkit is a very light ginger tabby, with your thick pelt. They're so wonderful, Cosmo. I... I want you to meet them.” She hesitated, then mewed, “Will you help us carry catmint back to the Clans? You can meet them then.” Even if Cosmo couldn't be a constant presence in their lives, she wanted him to be able to meet his kits. And maybe, one day, she could take them to meet their father when they were old enough.

     “I'd love to!” Cosmo purred, delivering a swift lick to the top of Darkbreeze's head. After a moment, he pulled back. “Come on,” he mewed, his tone a bit more brisk. “Let's help the others get catmint – they'll be wondering where we are.” For a moment, unease pricked at Darkbreeze's pelt. There was something in Cosmo's gaze, something thoughtful and serious that she didn't quite understand yet.

     But after a moment, she pushed that thought away. “Alright,” she mewed.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The Clan cats gathered all of the catmint they could carry from Cosmo's garden. They made sure to dig up the entire plant, roots and all, in case there was any way the medicine cats could re-plant some of them. Since all of the sources of catmint had been destroyed on Clan territory, they would need to find some way to get catmint growing on their territory again, unless they wanted to travel to the city every time greencough struck.

     While the Clan cats were resting behind a twoleg den, Rizzo had gone off to find cats to help carry more herbs. Darkbreeze was sitting beside Cosmo, her pelt pressed against his, while the rest of her friends chatted. The mood was lighter than it had been in seasons - after moons of watching their Clanmates die, the herbs that could save them were sitting right at their paws. The worry that had been plaguing all of Darkbreeze's friends seemed to roll off of them like rainwater, joy shining in their eyes once more.

     But Darkbreeze could not entirely share in their joy. As the day had worn on, her uneasiness had grown. Cosmo was being unusually quiet; she had never seen the goofy tom this thoughtful and serious before. Was he not as excited to see his kits as he'd been letting on? Or was he thinking of rejecting her after all?

     Finally, Cosmo pulled away, rising to his paws. “Darkbreeze, can I talk with you alone for a moment?” he murmured.

     Unease clawed at Darkbreeze's gut, but she forced her tone to stay cheerful. “Of course!” She left her share of catmint with Nightfern, then allowed Cosmo to lead her away, taking her down a path beside a winding thunderpath. For several moments, Cosmo didn't speak, his expression closed-off. Darkbreeze's unease grew, until she couldn't bear the silence anymore. “What is it?” she finally asked, her gaze imploring as she looked at the kittypet. “Is something wrong?”

     Cosmo started, seeming surprised but the question. “What? Oh, no, nothing is wrong.” He sighed, something like sadness glowing in his eyes. “I've just been thinking about something.”

     “Thinking about what?” Darkbreeze asked.

     The kittypet hesitated a few moments. Then, he mewed, “I've been doing a lot of thinking since the Clans left the city. Your lives are dangerous, of course, but you have so many ways to look after your Clanmates, ways we don't necessarily have in the city. Rizzo is our leader, there's no doubt about that. All of the kittypets and rogues respect her, even the most aggressive ones.” He gazed out into the city, flicking his tail towards the rows of dens. “Kittypets are pretty safe here,” he mewed. “If they get sick or hurt, their twolegs can take them to the vet, and get them healed. But rogues and loners have little protection against sickness.”

     He glanced at Darkbreeze, something passionate glowing in his eyes. “I was so inspired by the Clans, and how they all looked out for each other,” he told Darkbreeze. “I want to be able to do that for the cats here. We don't have any medicine cats – but my twolegs have herbs in their garden. If I can learn how to use herbs to cure illness and injuries, I can be a medicine cat for the city cats. I can help cats, more than I ever could before.”

     The tom seemed to hesitate for another moment. Finally, he met Darkbreeze's gaze, looking more vulnerable and open than she had ever seen him before. “So now, with what you've said today... I want to come with you, Darkbreeze, if you'll let me. I want to come with you to WindClan.”

     Darkbreeze's breath caught. Never, in a million moons, could she have imagined she would hear those words from Cosmo. “You... you want to join the Clan?” she breathed, hardly daring to hope.

     Cosmo shook his head. “Not forever,” he told her. “I'm no warrior – the city is my home, and I could never leave my house folk forever. They're my family too. But if I can stay with your Clan, I can learn from a real medicine cat.”

     He hesitated, then reached out, rubbing his muzzle slowly against Darkbreeze's. “And now, I can be a real father to our kits,” he murmured. “If it's alright with you, and with Heatherstar, I'd like to stay with the Clan until our kits are warriors. I want to be a real father to them – even if I can't stay forever, I can watch them grow up. And then, when they're grown, I can visit sometimes, and maybe they can visit me.”

     The kittypet pulled back, his eyes glowing with love, as he added, “And you can too. I never thought I'd see you again, Darkbreeze. Now that I've found you again, I don't want to lose you. Even if we can't stay together forever, I'll always love you, and we can see each other sometimes. Maybe it won't be everything we could have wanted, but it can be enough.”

     Darkbreeze stared at Cosmo, too stunned to reply. This was all so much more than she could ever have hoped for. To have Cosmo by her side for twelve more moons, to be able to love him again, and for him to love their kits... Joy, greater joy than Darkbreeze had ever known, seared through her blood. Even if he only stayed for a few moons, even if he couldn't stay forever, it didn't matter. He would be a part of her life again, and the lives of her kits, and even when they said goodbye, she would see him again. He was right, it wasn't perfect – she wished she could stay by his side forever. But it was more than she had ever thought she would get.

     Cosmo was still watching Darkbreeze, worry glowing in his eyes as her silence drew on. “Darkbreeze?” he mewed, sounding more uncertain now. “Is... is that alright?” He lowered his muzzle, seeming almost afraid as he murmured, “I mean, if you would rather...”

     The queen finally recovered from her shock enough to speak. “That sounds perfect!” she gasped, pressing her muzzle against his cheek as she purred fiercely. Cosmo gave a small noise of surprise at Darkbreeze's enthusiastic response, but quickly leaned into her embrace, purring. “Oh Cosmo, all I've wanted since I left the city was to see you again.” She pulled back, feeling joy sparking through her pelt, too much to contain. “Yes, I would love for you to come back to WindClan with me! Even if it's not forever, we can be a real family.”

     Cosmo pressed his muzzle against her head, purring deeply. “That's all I ever wanted,” he murmured, love and relief heavy in his mew.

     Darkbreeze closed her eyes, a sense of contentment settling over her. Silentstorm was still out there, possessed by the Spirit of Light, and the battle still laid ahead of her. Even if they cured greencough in all of the Clans, leafbare wasn't over yet, and prey would still be scarce. But with this tom beside her, feeling the same love in his heart that she felt in hers, it suddenly felt like everything was going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I only started this chapter yesterday. :P I didn't think I would get it done this quickly. Now, if I could only write my senior paper this quickly... :P
> 
> Anywhoo, I apologize for the length of this chapter. It's at almost 6000 words, but since I'd already chopped an earlier chapter in half, I wasn't willing to do it again. So instead, you get a big, bloated chapter. Ah well. :P
> 
> Recently, thanks to the Brambleclaw and Hawkfrost MAP for the song "The Exit," I have recently discovered the musical album thingy, "Razia's Shadow." I'm not totally sure what I make of the somewhat bizarre, and not very sense-making story, but I like a lot of the music. ^^ It deals a lot with the balance of dark and light, so it felt appropriate to make a small reference to one of the lyrics from one of the songs in here, which I've done. ^^ It's a very small reference, but it felt appropriate.
> 
> The hardest part of this chapter was definitely writing Midnight's dialogue. ^^ She was a bit of a last-minute addition, as was her second part of the prophecy, but I definitely thought it was needed once I thought of it. Midnight has been shown to be friends with Rock - it didn't make sense to me that she wouldn't show up at all, with Rock featuring so heavily in the story. But her way of speaking was definitely difficult, and interesting, to try and replicate faithfully. I'm still not totally sure I got it right, but I think it's close enough at this point.
> 
> I thought it would be neat to show Silentstorm's friends getting to see the sun-drown place, to sort of further show their parallels to the questing cats (though they're certainly different characters, and had different reactions to meeting Midnight). Now they know the truth about Shade and Rock, though they haven't been told about Scorch, and they've learned about a new part of the prophecy. "Sacrifice in silence will bring the new dawn." This should be interesting. ^^
> 
> We also get to see the city again, and Rizzo and Cosmo. I missed writing Rizzo, so it was nice to bring her back. :) And now, not only does Cosmo know the truth about his kits, but he wants to return to WindClan to be a father to them, and to learn how to be a medicine cat for the cats of the city.
> 
> Next chapter will be in Blazeheart's POV. I feel like it's not going to take me very long to write this one. ^^


	24. Chapter Twenty Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ceremony begins...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Two

     “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tall Stump for a Clan meeting!”

     Excitement sparked through Blazeheart's pelt as cats began crowding around the tree stump. He joined the crowd, coming to sit beside Ambertalon, Snowfall, and Duskpaw as he waited for the leader to continue.

     Mistystar stood atop of the tree stump, her head held high with pride as she looked down at her Clanmates, and the guests of her Clan. Beside her, looming over the smaller leader, was Bramblestar. The two leaders waited as cats from both Clans gathered in front of the stump, waiting for the announcement. Warriors of both Clans were sitting together; Redleaf was chatting quietly with Slushfoot, Pikepaw was sharing an excited glance with Yewpaw, and Squirrelflight sat beside Reedwhisker. Lakebird hesitated a moment as he approached the crowd, poking his head inside the nursery, before scurrying to the crowd. Two days ago, Swanfall had given birth to his kits; a she-kit named Spottedkit, and two toms named Foggykit and Stonekit.

     Five days had passed since Darkbreeze and her friends had returned to the city. With the help of some of the city cats, they had distributed catmint among all three camps, allowing each Clan their share. Since the storm had ended, ThunderClan cats had begun crossing over into other territories to be with their families. Ambertalon had carried Screechkit to WindClan, allowing Lightfoot to reunite with his daughter while she greeted her own. Lilyfrost had left to reside with her sister in ShadowClan, and Lionblaze had crossed over from ShadowClan to be with his son.

     It wasn't just within Clan boundaries that things had changed. The ThunderClan cats who had been chased out of Clan territory had returned. ThunderClan territory was still under the control of the Dark Forest, but now that the borders weren't being guarded, they were free to travel to the other Clans. It had been decided that it was too much to expect any of the Clans to support an entire other Clan in the middle of leafbare, so ThunderClan had remained divided, spreading themselves between all three of the other Clans to give themselves the best chance.

     Bramblestar had come to stay with RiverClan, while Squirrelflight had migrated to WindClan. Finchwing had stayed in ShadowClan, the three of them trying to make sure that someone was in charge of ThunderClan in all three of the camps. Toadstep had joined Ivypool in WindClan, while Redleaf and Ripplewing had left to join Skystripe in RiverClan, Dovewing and her apprentice departing from ShadowClan in order to join Bumblestripe in RiverClan. Cinderheart had returned with the others from outside of Clan territory, and was staying with WindClan now, with her mate and son. On this particular day, the entirety of ThunderClan had migrated to RiverClan's camp, sitting around the Tall Stump in order to witness the ceremony. All of Blazeheart's family was together again – except for one.

     Once all of the cats were gathered, Bramblestar began. “I am grateful to Mistystar, and to RiverClan, for allowing a ThunderClan ceremony to take place their camp,” he rumbled, dipping his head to the elderly she-cat beside him. “And for allowing ThunderClan cats, those staying in your camp and otherwise, to attend today's ceremony. Even if we have lost our home, we can still stand together in celebrating our Clan.”

     Mistystar gave a small nod of acknowledgment, then continued. “The four cats that we wish to honor today have suffered great losses in the last few moons, just as all of the Clans have,” she called out, her mew cracking with age. “But they have faced their losses with the courage, loyalty, and strength that the Clans always call upon in the face of destruction. We will always face hardships, but as the last few days have shown, we will always find a way to overcome them, and grow stronger together. Today, we honor that courage by recognizing these cats as true warriors.”

     Bramblestar lifted his head, fierce pride gleaming in his eyes. “Duskpaw, Graypaw, and Stormpaw, step forward!” he called.

     “And step forward, Dewpaw!” Mistystar added.

     Beside Blazeheart, Duskpaw was quivering with excitement. Blazeheart's whiskers twitched as she glanced up at him, amber eyes blazing with joy. While the tortoiseshell had seen less than five moons of training, she was nearly a warrior's age, and had faced the dangers of the last moons with a warrior's courage. Blazeheart knew that his apprentice deserved this honor, and could feel pride for the little tortoiseshell burning in his chest. “Go on,” he murmured, nudging her.

     The tortoiseshell leaped to her paws, clearly trying to contain her excitement as she padded through the crowd. She was the last to come stand before the Tall Stump, joining her three littermates as they stared up at their leaders. Blazeheart felt a rush of fierce joy as he spotted Dewpaw sitting beside her littermates; even though they had chosen different Clans, Blossomfall's kits would earn their warrior names together after all. He could see Silvershine and Grasspelt in the crowd, staring at the apprentices with all of the love and pride that any parents would show. _I hope Blossomfall and Mousewhisker are watching them too,_ the tabby thought.

     Both leaders leaped down from the Tall Stump, coming to stand before the apprentices. In his deep rumble, Bramblestar announced, “I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” He looked over the four cats in front of him. “Duskpaw, Graypaw, Stormpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     “I do!” the three apprentices rang out together. Graypaw had fierce joy glowing in her eyes, and while Stormpaw's expression was calm, the bristling of his hackles betrayed his similar excitement. Duskpaw's pelt was quivering with it, joy radiating from every hair on her pelt.

     “I, Mistystar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” Mistystar picked up her half of the ceremony. “She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.” She looked at the last of the littermates, the pale tortoiseshell staring back with eyes that shone with joy. “Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

     Dewpaw ducked her head, her mew ringing with clear conviction as she said, “I do.”

     “Then by the power of StarClan, I give you your warrior names,” Bramblestar announced. Mistystar echoed him, glancing at Dewpaw. Bramblestar scanned the littermates in front of him, before his gaze settled on Stormpaw. “Before your mother died, she spoke with me about how she wished some of her kits to be named,” he called out clearly to all of the listening cats. The apprentices reacted with surprised mews. “Today, to honor her sacrifice for this Clan, I will bestow the names she chose for her kits.”

     “Stormpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Stormbriar.” The pale tom stiffened, surprise flashing in his eyes. Blazeheart felt a jolt of understanding – Blossomfall had chosen to name her son after her lost sister, Briarlight. “StarClan honors your patience and your wisdom, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.” Stormbriar hesitated, then dipped his head to his leader, allowing Bramblestar to lay his chin over his head.

     Once he had finished with Stormbriar, Bramblestar turned next to the she-cats. “Graypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Graymouse.” The new warrior reacted in similar kind, but the crowd seemed less surprised this time. It was no secret that Graymouse was the spitting image of her father, Mousewhisker. It was no wonder Blossomfall had wanted her named after him. “StarClan honors your compassion, and your dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”

     That just left Duskpaw. The tortoiseshell was quivering with excitement as Bramblestar finally turned his gaze on her. “This name was not chosen by your mother,” he informed the tortoiseshell. “But it reflects the spirit she had, a spirit and fierce loyalty that she passed onto you.”

     Blazeheart listened, ready to burst with pride, as Bramblestar continued, “Duskpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Duskfire. StarClan honors your enthusiasm, and your curiosity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”

     Duskfire gave a small, shrill sound of joy as her new name was passed onto her. As she dipped her head to Bramblestar, Blazeheart felt fierce pride searing through his blood. Duskfire – for the fire she had always shown, a fierce refusal to accept any answer she was given, a passion and curiosity for any new information she could get her paws on. Duskfire had always carried the fierce energy of fire in everything she did – and now her name reflected it.

     Before any cat could begin to chant for the new warriors, Mistystar spoke. “This name was not chosen by your mother either,” she informed Dewpaw. “But as a cat who carries the same fierce devotion to family, and the same courage to make hard choices, I thought there could be no better name for you.” The fluffy she-cat stiffened in shock as Mistystar continued, “Dewpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Dewblossom. StarClan honors your loyalty, and your compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.”

     For a moment, pain clawed at Blazeheart's heart. Now two of Blossomfall and Mousewhisker's kits carried their names, but they would never know them, not until they joined them in StarClan. There had been so many losses in the last moons.

     But as he watched, the scene in front of him was not one of loss. The newly named warriors turned to face their Clanmates as their names were called. “Stormbriar! Graymouse! Duskfire! Dewblossom!” the crowd chanted, cats from both Clans cheering for the new warriors without reservation. The four littermates stood side by side, holding their heads high with pride as their names were called.

     Silvershine was the first to reach them. The silver tabby was purring with delight as she greeted her adopted kits, brushing muzzles with each of them and murmuring something that Blazeheart couldn't hear. Grasspelt was right behind her, purring proudly as he approached the cats he had been a father to, with Graypaw and Pikepaw right on his heels. Lilyfrost, Dovewing, and Hurricane were there as well to greet their apprentices, and Bumblestripe and Hazeltail were purring with pride as they approached their kin.

     A sense of contentment settled over Blazeheart. _Their parents might be gone,_ he thought. _But these four cats still have a family, and they have known so much love._

     He pushed himself onto his paws, approaching the gathered cats. Duskfire's eyes lit up with joy as he approached, the tortoiseshell purring fiercely as she bumped her muzzle against his. He touched his nose to her forehead, giving a fierce purr. “I'm so proud of you,” he told the new warrior. “You've earned this, and you're going to make a great warrior.”

     “Thank you, Blazeheart!” Duskfire purred, amber eyes blazing with joy, and warmth for her former mentor. After a moment, she grew more subdued. “Seriously, thank you,” she told him. “You were a really great mentor, and I learned a lot. I owe you a lot for that.”

     Blazeheart's ears flicked back in surprise, touched by the new warrior's words. He really had grown close with Duskfire through their training, and for all of her teasing and scoffing at authority, he was glad to hear she respected and appreciated him. After a moment, he purred, “Well, I'm glad all of that training paid off.” He flicked his tail, mewing, “Come on. Ready to go sit vigil back at camp?”

     The tortoiseshell glanced back at her littermates. “Actually, we've talked with Mistystar and Bramblestar, and they've agreed to let Graymouse and I sit vigil here for the night.” For a moment, her gaze lit up with determination. “We may not all be in the same Clan, but we want to sit our warrior vigil together.”

     A moon ago, Blazeheart would have felt a twinge of worry at the thought of Duskfire's divided loyalties. But now, he simply dipped his head in acceptance. “Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then.” Duskfire purred her agreement, before turning back to her littermates. Blazeheart left the new warriors behind, rejoining Ambertalon and Snowfall as they grouped with the rest of the ThunderClan cats bound for WindClan's camp. After some final farewells, they set off for the moorland, Squirrelflight at the lead as they headed for their temporary home.

     As they padded through the snowy territory, Blazeheart wondered at just how much the Clans had changed in the last few moons. When he was an apprentice, borders were defended, even during times of peace. But now Clan cats moved freely between territories, as though it were as easy as visiting a denmate. Cats could move from one camp to another freely, because the danger they faced had forced them to work together. But it went just beyond the danger they faced – something had changed in the very heart of the warrior code, and in the way the Clans interacted. Something, Blazeheart guessed, which would have implications for the Clans' future even after the danger had passed.

     But now, somehow, he didn't mind. He knew that there were still problems that could come with the Clans becoming too close. But he could see, more clearly than ever, that what mattered most was helping good cats to survive. The rest could come later – keeping each other alive, and not letting pride or fear of the other Clans get in the way of it, was what was most important. As long as he could keep his Clanmates alive, and preserve the Clans as a whole, he wasn't going to worry about borders or Clan pride. Survival mattered more.

     As Blazeheart walked along beside Ambertalon, Cinderheart and Lionblaze sped up to walk beside their son. “Congratulations!” Lionblaze mewed, while Cinderheart touched her nose to Blazeheart's cheek with a purr. “Your first apprentice is finally a warrior. That's a big achievement.”

     Blazeheart gave a proud purr. “Thanks,” he mewed. “I'm glad her whole family got to be there – I know it means a lot to her that Dewblossom got to receive her name with them.”

     For a moment, sadness gleamed in Lionblaze's eyes. “I just wish your whole family could have been there to congratulate you,” he murmured.

     Cinderheart gave her mate a reproachful glance. “Not now,” she warned him in a low voice. “This is a day to celebrate.”

     Blazeheart felt a pang of regret. When his parents had come to WindClan, they had been told that their daughter was missing. They'd gone on patrols to search for her, but no cat had been able to find her in the half moon since she'd disappeared. Cinderheart and Lionblaze had grown more worried and withdrawn the last few days, though they still spent time with their son and the three kits that were their kin.

     “It's alright,” Blazeheart assured his father, flicking his tail against the massive tabby's flank. “I don't mind talking about her.” He couldn't blame his parents for wanting to tip-toe around the subject – last time Silentstorm had gone missing, he had been perpetually moody whenever she was mentioned. But this time, she had trusted him, and he had the small comfort of knowing why she'd left. “I just hope she comes back soon.”

     Cinderheart's gaze was dark with worry, and she didn't reply. Lionblaze, on the other paw, seemed to be trying to take comfort in his son's words. “Last time we lost her, she came back safe and sound,” he reminded his mate gently. “We have to believe it can happen again. Silentstorm will be fine; she has to be.”

     Cinderheart gazed at her mate for a moment, before sighing, pressing her muzzle against his neck. “I hope you're right,” she murmured. Blazeheart could tell that after a half moon of being missing, Cinderheart feared the worst for their daughter. He only wished he could reassure her with the truth – but the truth would only bring more worry. Silentstorm was facing the most dangerous battle of her life, and there was a great chance that she would not come out of it alive.

     All Blazeheart could do was follow his father's example, and hope.

**SCENEBREAK**

     The sun was starting to set by the time the patrol returned to WindClan's camp. Ambertalon slipped straight off into the nursery. It was clear that, in the last five days, she'd been trying to make up for the time lost with Wrenkit. Snowfall headed off to chat with Cosima, while Cinderheart and Lionblaze started to pad towards the fresh-kill pile. Blazeheart frowned as he noticed the size of the pile; while prey was more plentiful now that the storm was over, the fresh-kill pile was currently smaller than Blazeheart would have liked.

     Even though his legs ached from the walk to and from RiverClan, he approached Snowfall and Cosima, who were chatting with Antpaw, Crouchfoot, and Flintpaw. “Anyway fancy going hunting?” he asked, catching the attention of the gathered cats. “We could try to bring some prey back for the warriors' evening meals, if we get back in time.”

     The cats looked at each other, then shrugged. “I'm not too tired for another hunt,” Crouchfoot agreed easily. The tom's voice still sounded hoarse, but his eyes and nose were no longer streaming, and he looked far more awake. He, and the rest of the greencough-infected cats, had begun to heal now that Icefur could treat them with the catmint Darkbreeze and her patrol had brought back. Some of the cats were still recovering, but Crouchfoot had been deemed well enough to return to warrior duties the previous day.

     Snowfall and Cosima seemed more tired, but the didn't protest as Blazeheart began leading them away. The apprentices trailed after them, flicking their tails eagerly. Flintpaw's mentor, Quickhare, had died from greencough, so Sorrelspike had been assigned as her new mentor once he had recovered. Sorrelspike had already retired to his den for the night, so the apprentice followed after her father and the other warriors as Blazeheart started to lead them out of camp.

     “Wait!” The patrol turned to see Cosmo hurrying out of the nursery. The kittypet's collar had been removed, carefully so as not to damage it, and was currently being kept by his nest in the medicine den. The tom's green gaze was bright and eager as he called, “Can I come hunt with you?”

     Blazeheart glanced at his patrol for confirmation, then turned back to Cosmo with a friendly flick of his tail. “Sure!” he agreed easily. Cosmo's tail curled in pleasure as he padded after the patrol.

     The tabby began to feel more awake as they set off across the moor, feeling the leafbare wind tugging at his pelt. Ever since the storm had ended, the forest had grown warmer, and the snow had begun to melt. There was still a thick layer of snow covering the moor, but it wasn't piled too high for cats to safely travel anymore. Blazeheart could feel the sun's warmth on his back, far more than he had in moons, as he began sniffing for prey.

     Suddenly, Blazeheart stiffened. His ears swiveled as the sound of small paws behind a clump of snow-covered clovers caught his attention. His training told him to crouch and creep toward it; but instead he sprang forward, taking off at a sprint towards the sound. The hare broke for cover, with Blazeheart hard on its heels. It tried to turn away, but he swerved effortlessly to follow it, snarling as he lunged forward and caught the hare's spine in his jaws.

     “Nice catch!” Blazeheart turned to see the patrol padding towards him. Snowfall gave Blazeheart a hearty nudge with his shoulder when he reached him, looking impressed. “You've really gotten good at moor hunting.”

     Crouchfoot grunted his agreement. “Not bad for a squirrel-chaser,” he mewed gruffly, though Blazeheart knew the tom well enough now to hear the friendly teasing in his tone.

     “Thanks,” Blazeheart mewed, dipping his head. For the last half moon, he had been doing his best to learn how to hunt like a WindClan cat, in order to keep his Clan fed. While the forest was his home, he was well-suited to the moor. He had the lithe, light build necessary for a moor runner, and he couldn't deny that he loved the feeling of the wind sweeping over his pelt as he raced across the moor after his prey. But now, he was no longer ashamed of the way his resemblance to his WindClan kin. No matter where he learned his hunting from, or how he took down his prey, it was all just another way to serve his Clan.

     He had been spending as much time as possible hunting the last few moons, learning as much as he could about moor hunting, so he could keep his Clan fed through the cold season. Whatever time he wasn't spending hunting was spent looking after his daughter. Now that Ambertalon was in the Clan with him, they were back to switching off between hunting and looking after Wrenkit. Darkbreeze had looked after her while they were at Duskfire's warrior ceremony, but the next day, they would be back to trading patrols. He had never been so busy, or worked so hard, in his life, but it was more rewarding than he could say. His Clan was better fed now that the storm was over, and they were alive and safe in WindClan, in part thanks to him.

     “Are you kidding?” Cosmo mewed, glancing at Crouchfoot. “That was great! I wish I could run like that.” While the kittypet had been given three moons of training in the city, all of those moons had been dedicated to battle training. Cosmo was still new to hunting, and his clumsiness and poor timing kept him from being a successful hunter. But no cat could doubt his eagerness to learn, or his dedication to the Clan he was staying with.

     “If you practice enough, you'll get there,” Blazeheart told the kittypet. “Come on, we can work on your scenting. See if you can scent any prey nearby.”

     Cosmo lifted his muzzle, closing his eyes as he concentrated on sniffing. “All I can smell is heather and snow,” he admitted.

     “Same for me,” Snowfall mewed, glancing at the kittypet. “But there's more to tracking prey than just a bit of sniffing. Think about which way the wind is coming from. Scents are carried on the wind – if you're facing away from the way the wind is blowing, you're not going to scent much.”

     Cosima picked up his thought, explaining, “But you can also use the wind to hide your scent. WindClan cats don't sneak up on their prey the way that ThunderClan cats do, but it can still be useful. If the wind is blowing your scent away from your prey, they won't smell you coming, and those few moments of having the element of surprise can mean all the difference when running down your prey.” The tortoiseshell was standing side by side with Snowfall, to Blazeheart's amusement. It seemed like several cats had started to grow closer over the course of the last half moon. From what Ambertalon had told him, Sunnyflower and Lightningstrike had become mates while staying with ShadowClan, and Redleaf had seemed pretty eager to follow Ripplewing to RiverClan. Even after everything they had suffered, Clan life moved forward.

     Cosmo nodded, eagerly drinking in what the warriors told him. “That makes sense,” he remarked.

     Blazeheart's whiskers twitched. “Come on. We'll show you what we mean – and get some hunting done.”

**SCENEBREAK**

     Cosmo actually managed to run down a hare before they returned to camp for the night. He held it in his jaws as they padded back into the hollow, holding his head high with pride. While the other warriors took their catches to the fresh-kill pile, Blazeheart saved one of his hares, instead following Cosmo to take it to the nursery.

     Ambertalon was lying beside Darkbreeze when the tom pushed into the den, Wrenkit locked in play with Screechkit and Jaykit. Blazeheart was surprised to see Jaykit throwing herself so eagerly into the play battle – usually, she was more reserved. But ever since Screechkit and Ambertalon had returned from ShadowClan, Jaykit had seemed a lot happier and at ease, more than Blazeheart had ever seen before. It was good to see the shy kit becoming more outgoing, or at least more comfortable with the cats around her.

     Lightfoot was there too, sitting beside Darkbreeze as he watched over his kits, but he rose to his paws and backed off as Cosmo approached. The kittypet dropped his hare in front of Darkbreeze, mewing brightly, “I thought you might be hungry.” Honeyheart was father back in the den, taking a nap, but Heatherstar was still out on patrol.

     Darkbreeze's eyes grew wide. “It's been ages since I had a whole hare to myself!” she exclaimed, reaching a paw out towards the hare to drag it closer. “Are you sure the Clan has enough to spare this?”

     “It should be fine, if you two share it,” Blazeheart told the queen. “Hunting's been a lot better since the storm ended. It's warmer now, and without Dark Forest cats taking all the prey, there's more to go around.”

     Darkbreeze glanced at Cosmo, mewing, “Want to share this, then?”

     “Sure!” The tom crouched beside his mate, sharing the hare between them. Darkbreeze's kits were no longer stuck crawling at her side; in the last day or two, they had started to walk, stumbling around on stubby legs as they tried to get a sense of the world. Mothkit was watching over them, mewing encouragement and helping them up when they stumbled.

     Blazeheart carried his hare to Ambertalon, the queen greeting him with a friendly bump of her muzzle against his chin. With a purr, he dropped the hare in front of her. “Want to share?”

     Ambertalon purred her agreement. She glanced over at the play-fighting kits, calling, “Wrenkit, come eat!”

     The kit abandoned her game, trotting over to her parents. The three cats crouched over the hare, eating in content silence. After Cosmo and Darkbreeze finished their meal, Cosmo trotted over to his kits, purring as he nuzzled each kit in turn. They mewled their excitement as they crowded around his legs, staring up at him with their kitten-blue eyes. The kittypet crouched, rasping his tongue over Stormkit's back as the she-kit rubbed against his muzzle. While Stormkit and Heatherkit snuggled against their father, Cottonkit had stumbled around behind him, and had begun clumsy attempts to catch his tail between her paws. When Cosmo noticed what she was doing, he gave an amused purr, then began waving his tail around for her to try and catch, to Cottonkit's clear delight.

     Blazeheart held back an amused purr. When Darkbreeze had returned from the city asking Heatherstar to let her kittypet mate stay with the Clan, a few cats hadn't been thrilled. It was clear that Cosmo was no warrior – he was a poor hunter, and spoke fondly of the city he would one day return to. But the tom was a hard worker, dividing his time between medicine lessons from Icefur, and learning to hunt for the Clan, as well as looking after his kits. Even for those who doubted his place in the Clan, it was already clear how much he adored his mate and kits, and how hard he was willing to work to learn to provide for his kits. Blazeheart knew that with time, he would be a fine hunter, and a fine healer for the cats of the city.

     While Cosmo was busy with his kits, Lightfoot came to sit beside Ambertalon and Darkbreeze, worry sparking in his eyes. “Have any of you had more dreams about the prophecy?” he asked in a low voice. Blazeheart glanced uneasily at Wrenkit, but the kit didn't seem to have heard. She swiped the last of the hare off of her lips, then bounded off to rejoin Jaykit and Screechkit in battle.

     Blazeheart's good mood began to fade. Everything seemed to be going better for the Clans, and everyone was safe again – except for Silentstorm. His sister's disappearance, and her prophecy, were the only dark cloud left that hung over the Clans. But it was a far darker cloud than most cats could guess. The battle to come would determine the fate of the dark and light. The peace that the Clans had fought so hard for, the progress they had made since they started curing their greencough, was as fragile as a cobweb. It could all be torn away with the flick of a claw by the outcome of the coming battle. But even now, with all that Silentstorm's friends knew, they had no way of knowing when the battle would finally be fought.

     All three cats shook their heads. “Just the one we had together,” Ambertalon mewed. “I think Midnight's told us all she's going to. We know the real meaning of the prophecy now, after all, and we know about Rock and Shade.”

     “Except we still don't know when the battle is going to be fought,” Darkbreeze added, concern lighting in her blue eyes. “How are we supposed to warn our Clans about the Dark Fores coming if Silentstorm loses the battle, if we don't know when it's being fought.”

     Blazeheart sighed. “You heard Midnight,” he reminded Darkbreeze. “If Silentstorm loses, warning them won't do any good. There won't be anywhere to hide.”

     Ambertalon threw her mate a sharp glance. “We can't hide, but we can fight,” she pointed out.

     “And what chance are we supposed to have against all of the dark spirits that Shade can set loose on us?” Blazeheart asked.

     He was chilled by the dark light to his mate's eyes. “I didn't say we had any chance,” she mewed grimly. “But if the Clans are going down, we should go down fighting. I'd rather die on my paws, with my claws out, than being caught by surprise.”

     As the mates and Darkbreeze argued, Lightfoot glanced back at his kits, who had joined some of Honeyheart and Heatherstar's kits in play battle. “She's been gone for over half a moon,” he murmured, grief and pain in his mew. “How much longer will we have to wait? Our kits will be apprentices in just a few moons, and leafbare will be over soon. Will she have to miss that? Or will...” The tom trailed off, looking too miserable and worried to finish his thought. But his unspoken words hung heavy in the air. _Will she already be dead?_

     Darkbreeze gave the tom a friendly nudge with one paw, trying to look hopeful. “I doubt this Shade will drag it out that long,” she told Lightfoot. “She won't have total control over the light and dark until she fights the battle, so she won't put it off forever. We just have to wait for the battle to start, and Silentstorm to win, then everything can go back to normal.”

     Lightfoot glanced at Darkbreeze, his gaze still filled with misery. He just gave a small nod in reply. Blazeheart felt a fierce rush of sympathy for Lightfoot; he'd lost his parents recently, his brother was still in ShadowClan, and now he had to raise his kits without their mother, and without knowing if she would ever come back. He felt the same fear for Silentstorm in his own heart. Even now that he knew the truth about her prophecy, and the purpose of her battle, it didn't erase that fear.

     Blazeheart sighed, lowering his head to his paws. The fate of the Clans, and all of the light, hung in the balance. He had no way of knowing when the battle would happen; but each day, he felt more and more that the Clans, and his sister, were drawing closer to their destiny. Fear for his daughter, his mate, and his Clan hung heavy in Blazeheart's heart – the battle's outcome would determine their fate. But even beyond the fate of the light, he worried about the fate of his sister. Victory for the light didn't necessarily ensure her survival – even if the rest of his family was saved, he could still lose her.

     He glanced back at Lightfoot, his eyes still glazed over with misery, and at the two kits locked in battle. _You're still needed here, Silentstorm,_ he thought, his heart aching with fear for his sister. _Please, StarClan, don't make her life the sacrifice that's needed to defeat the darkness._

      _And please, let the battle come soon, so this can all be over._ He held back a sigh. _One way, or another._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But I don't want this to be over yet, Blazeheart. :P
> 
> Aaaaaaaand you guys get another long, bloated chapter. :P What is it with me and writing super-long chapters lately? Eh, whatever.
> 
> So, for those interested, this was the chapter which was originally slated to get cut. Back then, it had a different plot. It was just going to be Darkbreeze and friends returning to WindClan with catmint from Blazeheart's POV, which felt unimportant enough to cut. But then I realized that Duskfire and her littermates were just a moon shy of being old enough to be warriors, and thought of how cool it would be to hold their warrior ceremony in RiverClan's camp and have Dewblossom be able to earn her warrior name beside her littermates. I liked that idea so much that I had to put this chapter back in. So now this book has twenty-seven chapters. :P Ah well.
> 
> Also, I just want you all to know that you got very, /very/ lucky. I wouldn't normally reveal this, at least not until the book was finished, but what the heck, it's clearly not going to happen now, at least not in the way I originally intended.
> 
> From the very start, Duskpaw was slated to die as an apprentice. I thought it would add to the drama, and provide a very personal loss for Blazeheart, as he had grown close with his orphaned apprentice, a surrogate father of sorts. This was before I had really planned out the plot for this book - I imagined that the Dark Forest cats were still making small attacks on ThunderClan patrols, and my imagining was that Duskpaw would be attacked while she was out hunting on her own.
> 
> Another reason I wanted to do this was in order to finally get to use the dying warrior ceremony again - she was going to be barely conscious when they found her, and the medicine cats would make it clear that she was dying and they couldn't save her. Bramblestar was then going to use the ceremony to turn a dying apprentice into a warrior, giving her her warrior name before she died. But once I plotted out Silent Sacrifice, I realized A) the Dark Forest weren't going to be making attacks like that anymore, and I didn't exactly want her big death to be from greencough, and B) even if I'd had her get mortally wounded in the battle at ThunderClan's camp, there wouldn't be any good period after that when Bramblestar would be around to give her her warrior name. So instead, she gets to survive to warriorhood. So you all got lucky and didn't have to read that scene where she gets her warrior name while dying. :P
> 
> Anyway, to their warrior names. As stated in this chapter, Blossomfall picked Stormbriar and Graymouse's warrior names, naming them after Briarlight and Graymouse. Stormbriar was named so because Blossomfall thought of him as the most similar to Briarlight of his littermates, calm and patient and hopeful. Graymouse is because she looks almost exactly like Mousewhisker - and it helps that she has a quiet, gentle personality that justifies a gentle suffix like -mouse. Duskfire was named for the reasons Blazeheart described, for her fierce, energetic, enthusiastic personality. Dewblossom was named after her mother, because she had the same strong devotion to family (most of Blossomfall's problems came from feeling guilty for feeling jealous of Briarlight, and for how her mother treated her, showing that how her family feels about her is important to her, I think anyway), and to honor Blossomfall for giving her life for ThunderClan.
> 
> We also learn that Swanfall and Lakebird's kits have been born. ^^ Spottedkit is a sleek pale gray spotted tabby she-cat with pale green eyes, Foggykit is a very pale, thin gray tom with golden eyes, and Stonekit is a pale blue-gray tom with a small white mark on his chest, and golden eyes.
> 
> I think that covers all of the info for this chapter. ^^ Wow, that's a long artist's comment. :P I can't promise that next chapter will be out soon, I have a bit more planning that I want to do first, and I have my senior paper and other stuff to work on. But it shouldn't be too long. Man, we're getting close to the end here...


	25. Chapter Twenty Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is time...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Three

     It was time.

     The Silent One knew it, instinctively, the moment it happened. A change came over the air. They were within the tunnels, listening to the steady murmur of the river, when it happened. Their head jerked up, ears flying forward, as if listening for something no ear could hear. Then, the cat faded away like mist.

     In a matter of moments, they reappeared on the open moorland. It was well into the night; crickets and night-birds were giving their songs, and the chill of moonlight threaded through the cat's pelt. They stood in the snow, motionless, as they tried to pin down where the sensation was coming form.

      _“She's out there,”_ Silentstorm murmured in the mind of the Silent One. She could feel it as strongly as Rock, though she didn't understand how or why; Shade was finally ready for battle. Something was tugging their paws to the moor, to the place where the battle would be fought. And yet, even with the sensation of the coming battle in the air, she couldn't sense the Spirit of Darkness anywhere. _“She must be. But where?”_

     Rock's rasping mew sounded next. _“She'll show herself when she's ready,”_ he told the warrior. _“As long as she can make us wait, she holds power over the battle. She won't give that up easily. But it won't be long now.”_

     Silentstorm knew he was right. She could feel it in every hair in their pelt, in the tugging at their paws, that the battle was nearing. Whatever games Shade wanted to play, it wouldn't matter for much longer. All that was left was to let their paws carry them to the battleground, and wait for Shade to arrive.

     The Silent One began padding through the snow, letting their mind wander. It had been over half a moon since Silentstorm had allowed Rock to possess her, and ten days since the Silent One had saved Silentstorm's friends on the border. Their wounds from the battle at ThunderClan's camp had long since healed, and the Silent One was back to their full strength. They could feel the strength of the stars pulsing through their blood, the power of the very light itself infused in every hair on their pelt. They were at the height of their power, and they were ready for the battle to come.

     And yet, fear pricked at the back of the Silent One's mind. Both Silentstorm and Rock knew the weight of what was at stake. The only thing that stood between the world and its total destruction from the darkness was the Silent One, and their strength to win the battle ahead. One wrong step, one wrong flash of the claws or turn of the head, and the light would be lost forever. The responsibility of all of life rested on the Silent One's shoulders, and very soon, the battle would determine which side would win.

     For a moment, the Silent One's mind flashed back to the Clans. It was well past moonhigh – they would all be asleep in their nests by now, with no idea that their fates were being decided as they dreamed. In the days since Darkbreeze had led her friends to the city, the weather had turned warmer, prey had become more plentiful, and the medicine cats had used the catmint to cure those sick with greencough. Little by little, the Clans were recovering.

     And yet, if the battle was lost, that would all be ripped away. The entire world was in danger of the darkness, but it was the thought of the Clans being destroyed that sent chills all the way to Silentstorm's bones. The Clans were her family, her love for them was in her blood, even now. Everything she had ever fought for, it could all be torn away today. Her friends, family, her precious kits, they would all be lost to the darkness if the Silent One failed.

      _“Breathe,”_ came Rock's firm mew. _“Worrying isn't going to help us win.”_ The Silent One was still walking calmly through the snowy moor, the body moving forward without emotion as the mind was split apart inside.

     Annoyance pricked at Silentstorm's mind. _“Oh, excuse me,”_ she snapped at the spirit in her head. _“The fate of light and dark is going to be decided today, and it's all up to the two of us to stop the dark from taking over forever. So sorry if I'm anxious about messing up and getting everyone I ever loved killed.”_

     To her surprise, Rock's mew was calm, almost amused, in their shared mind. _“I understand,”_ he murmured. _“It is right to be wary – only a fool wouldn't be afraid, with all that is at stake. But we can win this battle.”_

     His words did nothing to calm Silentstorm's fear, or her annoyance with the spirit. It had been Rock who had dragged her into all of this, after all, who had hid the truth at every turn and led her blindly into her fate. _”Because of some vision you had seasons ago?”_ Silentstorm challenged. She had already made her choice, she was willing to make the sacrifice, no matter what it took to stop the darkness. But now that the moment was so near, her resentment came creeping back. _“What makes you so sure that you were right?”_

      _“Because I trust you,”_ Rock said simply.

     That was enough to surprise Silentstorm out of her anger. The Silent One's pace faltered as Silentstorm searched for a fitting reply. _“Trust me?”_

      _“Yes.”_ There was no hesitation in Rock's mew. _“I trust your strength in battle, your courage for the task ahead, and your loyalty to your Clan. I trust that you would die to save them, that you would fight like all of TigerClan to defend them, and that you will give everything you have in this fight.”_ For a moment, amusement colored his tone. _“And I trust your stubbornness. You're the sort of cat to keep fighting, no matter the odds, until the last breath is drawn from you. I know you have what it takes to win this fight.”_

     Silentstorm hesitated. Part of her was touched by the spirit's confidence in her. But there was still the fear of failure, and letting down everyone who would suffer at the paws of the darkness. _“I just hope you're right,”_ she murmured.

     A soft sigh sounded from Rock's voice in their mind. _“I've spent seasons beyond seasons shackled by the knowledge of everything that was to come,”_ he told Silentstorm. _“There is a safety, and also a burden, in having the entire future laid out in front of you. But now, I know nothing for certain. The future is finally lost to me. All either of us has left is to trust each other; it's the only way we can win.”_

     The warrior wavered for a moment. Then, her resolve hardened. _“I can't say I always like you,”_ she told the tom. It was easier to be frank when they shared the same mind. _“But I trust that you want the darkness defeated as much as I do. We'll hold each other to that today.”_

     While the two halves of the mind had been talking, the Silent One had finally reached their destination. They came to a neat halt in the middle of a hollow on the moor. Somehow, without being told, they knew that this was the place. They sat, tail wrapped neatly around their paws as they waited for their enemy to arrive.

      _“Not long now,”_ Silentstorm murmured.

     She was right. The Silent One hadn't been sitting very long before a soft rustling sounded nearby. They stood as another cat padded towards them, her paws hardly making a sound on the snow.

     “Shade,” the Silent One greeted coolly, Rock and Silentstorm speaking as one.

     The cat in front of them gave a small, mocking dip of her head. Just like last time, the Silent One could feel the way that Shade's presence seeped from every pore of Scorch's body. Shade had overwhelmed her host, pushing her out of every inch of her own pelt, filling the cat's body with her own pulsing, shapeless mass of power and darkness. All that was left of Scorch was a tiny sliver in the back of her own mind, barely aware of her surroundings.

     “Hello, Silent One,” Shade crooned, lifting her head again. Though her tone was light, the Silent One could sense her frustration; she had wanted Silentstorm dead long before this moment could come to pass. “So, Rock, you're letting your little plaything call the shots? I knew you were soft, but I thought you had a bit more pride than that.” She gave a dismissive flick of her tail, her sneer cold with indifference. “These cats are like insects under our claws. They can't even begin to comprehend the power we hold. They're ours to play with as we please.”

     The Silent One betrayed no emotion, calmly facing their enemy. “If you think that, you understand nothing,” they mewed simply.

     Shade waited a few moments longer, waiting for more. When she realized she wasn't going to get any more, she gave a lash of her tail, seeming irritated with the Silent One's cryptic answer. “You're the one who should have learned not to underestimate darkness, old fool,” she snarled. She brought her chin up sharply, sneering, “Enough talk. Let's finish this.”

     “Wait.” Shade had started to move to attack, but halted at the Silent One's brief command. They could sense Shade's impatience, but also her curiosity. “Before we begin, there is something we must do.”

     “And what's that?” Shade asked, lips curled in a sneer.

     The Silent One's mew grew firm as they said, “This battle must stay between us. We both have the power to call light and dark spirits to fight beside us – but this battle is not for them to fight.”

     Shade gave a mocking purr. “What's the matter, Silent One?” she cooed. “Afraid some of your precious StarClan spirits will die horribly today if I call some friends to fight on my behalf?”

     “When this battle is finished, there will be plenty of time for spirits of light or dark to do as they wish, depending on who wins,” the Silent One pointed out coolly. “Will it really benefit you to lose your dark spirits to this fight, even if you win? Leave them to terrorize the living another day.”

     Shade paused, hesitating. In truth, Shade was entirely correct; Silentstorm was afraid of her ancestors sacrificing their spirits to fight on her behalf. But she knew that Shade feared the same thing, for different reasons. If she called Dark Forest spirits to fight for her, then the Silent One would call spirits from the light realms to retaliate. Whichever spirit won, some of their army would be lost, and Shade would have less cats to use to torment the living after the battle.

     “Very well,” Shade finally mewed. “But how do I know you won't go back on your end of the deal?”

     The Silent One lifted their chin. “We'll lock the light and dark realms before either of us lifts a claw,” they said firmly. “No spirits can get in, or out, until the battle is over. Whoever wins can unlock whichever realms they choose.”

     Shade mulled their suggestion over for a few moments, before giving a short nod. “Fine,” she sniffed. “I didn't need those little fleas to help beat you anyway.”

     The Silent One closed their eyes, as did Shade. Even as they focused their mind on closing off the light realms, they could feel the switch in the air, like a shifting of stones, as Shade locked off the Dark Forest. There was another shift as The Silent One reached out to the borders of the light realms. Finally, it was done. StarClan, the Tribe of Endless Hunting, they were all closed off from the living. Whoever won would decide whether they would be opened again.

     The tension between the two cats had been building, the anticipation of battle crackling like lighting in the air. Now, the moment had arrived. Without a word between them, the two cats began circling each other, their hackles beginning to bristle. The Silent One heard the rustle of Shade's claws against the snow, and let their own claws slide free of their sheathes, their tail lashing slowly behind them.

     Even as the Silent One moved forward, something was shifting in their mind, a relinquishing of control. _“You're the fighter, Silentstorm,”_ Rock murmured. Slowly, Silentstorm felt control of her own muscles return to her. _“You know the steps and patterns of battle better than an old spirit like me. I will give you my strength, and power – you will guide us through the movement of battle.”_

     Fear still pricked at the back of Silentstorm's mind. She knew that the battle's loss or win would be down to her, with Rock there for guidance. But slowly, she began to feel something like hope. Rock was right; she knew battle inside and out. She had felt the thrill of it, had learned every move and strategy that Ivypool had taught her, had learned the precision and deftness of claw by heart. This was what she was good at. She could win this battle. She _would_ win this battle – for her own sake, for the sake of the Clans, for the sake of every creature that lived under the light.

     Across from them, Shade curled her lip in a sneer. “What's the matter, kitty?” she sneered. “Getting scared?”

     Silentstorm took a deep breath. She felt Rock's seasons of experience, and his knowledge, flowing through her blood, her mind and strategy backed by his power. The Silent One, fully realized.

     Without any word of command or warning, the Silent One and Shade both sprang at each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the moment of battle is finally here. ^^
> 
> Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but really, dragging out the beginning of the battle any longer would have made it feel too slow. And it makes up for some of the longer, bloated chapters I've been posting lately.
> 
> I can't believe it's finally time to write the battle. I've been building up to this for so long - I just hope I can make it live up to expectation.
> 
> I also forgot to mention something last chapter - Foggykit is named after his fur being pale gray like fog, Spottedkit is named after her spotted pelt, and Stonekit is named after Stonefur.
> 
> Well, since we've finally reached the battle, I think this is as good a time as any to make a little announcement. I may have told some people this privately, but I don't think I've announced this publicly at any point. Well, now I am.
> 
> After the chapters for this story are finished, there is going to be an epilogue. This epilogue will skip forward in time, I won't say how much, and will wrap up some loose ends and show the after-effects of this battle, and the entire series - whether good or bad. So when I post the final chapter, don't turn off your notifications for this story just yet. There will be an epilogue, and possibly something else after it.
> 
> I don't have a lot more to say about this chapter. ^^ I shall try to post again soon, but we shall see.


	26. Chapter Twenty Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, on the moor...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Four

     Blazeheart's entire body ached when he finally returned to his den for the night. He had spent the entire day hunting, leading a few patrols, and tracking down as much prey as he could. While prey was more plentiful now that the Dark Forest wasn't taking it, leafbare still held its grip over the forest, making prey harder to find. Blazeheart was relatively pleased with the day's hunting, but he could still feel a cold pit of worry in his gut. How much longer would ThunderClan have to remain divided, and drain the other Clans of the resources on their territory? With those worried thoughts pricking at his mind like sharpened claws, he drifted off into a troubled sleep.

     At first, his dreams were vague flashes of color and light, dark shadows looming over the tom as his worries swirled in his brain. Eventually, Blazeheart found himself hunting on the moor, a hare racing ahead of him, frustratingly out of reach. _I have to catch it!_ the tom thought, pushing himself harder and harder to catch it. _I have to feed my Clan!_ But it remained out of reach.

     “Blazeheart!”

     The tom froze. He turned to face the cat who had spoken, hardly noticing as the hare dashed away. A black she-cat stood in front of him, green eyes flashing with an urgent light. The she-cat's pelt was fluffed out, as though something had spooked her.

     “Who are you?” Blazeheart blinked at the she-cat. There was something very familiar about her. As he took a step towards her, it suddenly hit him. “You're the one who led me to Silentstorm during the fire!” he gasped. _The StarClan warrior!_ It finally occurred to Blazeheart that he was dreaming.

     The she-cat's tail lashed. “There's no time to talk,” she mewed, fear in her brisk mew. “Follow me!” Without another word, she spun around and took off, bounding away across the moor. Blazeheart only hesitated a moment, surprised, before following her.

     The she-cat didn't glance back at him as she hared across the moor, her pelt still fluffed out in alarm. Blazeheart had to push himself to keep pace with her. As he watched the cat he was following, a new thought began to occur to him. Silentstorm had told him, back in the city, the name of the StarClan cat who had told her about the prophecy, the kin that they had never gotten the chance to meet. And in all of Lionblaze and Cinderheart's stories, there had always been a she-cat with a black pelt, and green eyes. A she-cat that had haunted his father's stories, and who had always been known to Blazeheart, even if he had never met her.

     “You're Hollyleaf, aren't you?” he realized aloud, his pace faltering as the realization came over him.

     Hollyleaf only glanced back briefly at the tom, something sad flashing in her green gaze. “Come on. There isn't time,” she called back to the tom. Before he could question her further, she picked up her pace, bounding toward a gorse bush. She pushed through the bush, Blazeheart following right on her heels. As he pushed past the bush, he was surprised to see a den underneath, leading into a tunnel. Hollyleaf's fluffy tail was already disappearing into the tunnel, so after a moment's hesitation, Blazeheart followed her.

     He was quickly engulfed by the darkness of the tunnel. For a moment, he felt panic rising inside him. Then, he felt a tail brush against his muzzle. “Just follow me,” Hollyleaf mewed. There was still an edge of panic in her mew, but something comforting as well. Blazeheart gave a stiff nod, then pressed on. Hollyleaf slowed the pace to a brisk trot, leading Blazeheart through the weaving tunnels. Blazeheart could no longer see anything; all he could do was feel the way with his whiskers, and trust that Hollyleaf knew where they were going.

     Finally, the tunnel opened into a wide cavern. Blazeheart blinked; light poured into the cavern from a hole in the roof, filling the cavern with sunlight. The cavern was vast, with sleek walls that rippled like waves, and dusty stone under Blazeheart's paws. To his astonishment, a river ran through the floor of the cavern, disappearing into a distant tunnel on the other side.

     Blazeheart stiffened. _These must be the tunnels under the lake!_

     Before he could ask Hollyleaf for confirmation, he heard a gasp behind him. “Blazeheart!” The tom turned, surprised, to see cats stepping out of the shadowy edge of the cavern. Ambertalon, Lightfoot, Darkbreeze, Nightfern, and Specklefoot all approached him, looking as confused as he felt. Hollyleaf stood nearby, fear still gleaming in her eyes.

     Ambertalon bounded to Blazeheart's side right away, bumping her muzzle against his chin, while the others stood nearby. “What are you all doing here?” Blazeheart asked, still stunned. He glanced at Hollyleaf. “What's going on?”

     Hollyleaf just gave a small shake of her head. Before Blazeheart could ask her again, pawsteps approached from one of the various tunnels leading into the tavern. Finally, a small tabby trotted briskly out of the tunnel, Eeltooth and Finstrike following after him. “I found them chasing minnows in their sleep,” he grunted, flicking his tail towards the RiverClan littermates, who quickly joined their friends inside the cavern. “RiverClan cats are so predictable.”

     Blazeheart froze at the sight of the tabby. He hadn't seen the small gray tom since he'd found Silentstorm cradling his blood-stained body, in the middle of a raging fire. “Jayfeather!” he gasped, grief and joy aching in his heart at the sight of his dead kin. He moved as though to run to Jayfeather's side, but the StarClan tom stopped him with a sharp look. Blazeheart paused, surprised to see the clarity in Jayfeather's blue gaze. _He can see!_ he realized.

     “Good, you're all together,” Hollyleaf mewed briskly. Jayfeather came to stand beside her; the same fear that haunted her eyes was reflected in Jayfeather's. “I just hope there's enough time left.”

     “Enough time left for what?” Specklefoot asked, her gaze flashing with unease. “Why have you brought us all here?”

     Jayfeather lifted his head, rasping, “Because of what you know, about the prophecy.” Blazeheart felt unease begin to creep through his pelt. “You're the only ones who can help Silentstorm in time.”

     Terror spiked through Blazeheart's pelt at the mention of his sister. “Help her with what?” he rasped, feeling his pelt begin to tremble. “What's happened to my sister?”

     “The battle is beginning soon,” Hollyleaf told the living cats urgently. “We can all sense it. But there's something else – Shade's defenses are down, now that the battle is so close. We can see something she's been hiding.”

     Darkbreeze glanced at her sister, fear sparking in her blue eyes. “Which is what?”

     Jayfeather answered in a low growl. “Rogues,” he answered. “We saw rogues, hiding in the shadows. They're lying in wait to attack Silentstorm when the battle starts.”

     Fear clawed at Blazeheart's chest, and Lightfoot gave a small sound of distress, worry blazing in his eyes. The same emotion flickered in the eyes of all of the living cats. But Finstrike seemed to be trying to stay composed. “What difference does that make?” she asked, trying to sound unconcerned, though fear flashed in her eyes. “We've seen what happens when living – or dead – cats try to go up against Silentstorm when she's this powerful. She fought them off as easily as shaking off fleas.”

     “You don't get it,” Hollyleaf growled impatiently. “They can't beat her, no, or do much to hurt her. But if enough of them attack her, she'll be paying more attention to fighting them than to Shade's attack, which will give Shade the advantage.”

     Blazeheart drew in a sharp breath. “They're just a distraction,” he realized. “But it'll make Silentstorm vulnerable. This could cost her the battle!”

     “We have to help her!” Ambertalon declared, tail lashing and eyes glowing with a furious light.

     Jayfeather gave a brisk nod. “The battle is starting very soon, tonight,” he informed the living cats. “We aren't sure exactly where, but we think it's somewhere on the moor. We still can't entirely make out where Shade and Silentstorm are.”

     For a moment, fear threatened to overwhelm Blazeheart. _How are we supposed to help my sister if we can't help her?_

     It was Specklefoot who provided the answer. “That dream with Midnight,” she realized aloud. “She brought us to Breeze's old camp when she gave us the prophecy. Maybe she sensed that's where the battle would be, and was giving us a clue.”

     The living cats exchanged a brief glance. “It's all we have to go on,” Eeltooth mewed, for once his mew lacking any hint of gruffness. Fear glowed in his amber gaze, and worry for his friend. “We have to try.”

     “But how are we supposed to get there in time?” Finstrike asked. “We're together now, but when we wake up, we'll all be in different territories. Eeltooth and I are a fair distance from the moor, and Specklefoot,” she gestured to the tortoiseshell with her tail, “is on the other side of the lake from WindClan.”

     Hollyleaf nodded towards one of the tunnels, mewing briskly, “Eeltooth, Finstrike, if you make a straight line for the hollow, you can get there in enough time. Specklefoot, you can take the tunnels. They run under the lake, connecting all of the territories. Do you remember the entrance I took you through in your territory, on the way here?” The tortoiseshell looked worried, but gave a brisk nod in reply. “Good. Once you reach the cavern, take that tunnel back there. It'll lead onto the moor.”

     Jayfeather took a step towards the living cats. “I don't know if we'll be able to help you any further,” he growled. “Something's changing. But you must go quickly! Silent-”

     Without warning, Hollyleaf and Jayfeather vanished in a quick, jerky motion. Blazeheart barely had time to blink in surprise before he was yanked out of his dream. With a start, he awoke in his nest, his heart racing.

     It took Blazeheart a few moments to remember where he was, and what had happened. Lightfoot had jerked awake in the nest next to Blazeheart's, and across the den, Nightfern was blinking groggily as she lifted her head. Blazeheart almost started to lay his head back on his paws when the memory of his dream hit him. _Silentstorm is in danger!_

     He scrambled to his paws, just as Lightfoot and Nightfern were starting to do the same. “We have to go!” he hissed quietly to the others, mindful of the other warriors still asleep in the den. Wetwhisker twitched in his sleep, and Beechleaf kicked out one paw, but no cat seemed to wake. “Come on!”

     The three cats carefully made their way out of the den, stepping out into the snowy camp. The camp was engulfed in darkness, with only weak starlight overhead; there was no moon in the sky. But the snow seemed to give off its own light, glowing dimly in the darkness as Blazeheart and the others picked their way out of the den.

     As Blazeheart peered across the camp, he noticed two forms coming out from the nursery, their eyes reflecting in the darkness. “Ambertalon!” he called, recognizing the outline of the tiny she-cat. He bounded across the camp, Ambertalon racing to meet him as they brushed muzzles briefly. “So you had the dream too?”

     “Definitely,” Ambertalon growled. As she pulled back, Blazeheart could see grim determination glowing in her eyes. “Silentstorm needs our help. We should go.”

     “What about the others?” Darkbreeze asked. She had left the nursery along with Ambertalon, pressing against Nightfern's pelt to keep warm. Worry glowed in her blue eyes. “Eeltooth, Finstrike, and Specklefoot?”

     Nightfern shook her head. “We can't wait for them,” she said. “Silentstorm and Shade could already be fighting – we have to get there as fast as we can. The others will just have to catch up when they can.”

     “Then what are we waiting for?” Lightfoot demanded, panic flaring in his eyes. The tom seemed to be trembling all over, his eyes bugging as his tail lashed behind him. “We have to save Silentstorm!”

     For a brief moment, Blazeheart and Ambertalon exchanged a glance. It was finally starting to sink in what was being asked of them now. Blazeheart had been searching for moons for a way to help Silentstorm fulfill the prophecy, and now, he had finally found it. But the battle they were about to walk into was one of the most dangerous they would ever fight. The fate of dark and light would be decided, and every cat would be fighting to the death. This might well be the last battle any of them ever saw. He knew the weight of what they were walking into, and he could see that Ambertalon did too. Her gaze was full of grim determination, but also of fear, and love for him. _I don't want to lose you,_ Blazeheart thought, love clawing at his heart.

     After a moment, determination took over. _But if I'm dying tonight, I'll die fighting by your side._ He reached out, touching his nose to Ambertalon's muzzle, just for a moment. He could see from the sad glow in her eyes that she understood. Then, he pulled back, drawing himself up. “Lightfoot's right. Let's go!”

     He took off, bounding across the snow. The other warriors fell in behind him as they left the camp behind them. Snow flew up behind their paws as the five cats raced across the snowy moor, letting the stars overhead light their way, following the path to Breeze's camp by memory. Fear pounded in Blazeheart's chest with every step, but there was also anticipation, and relief. All of the secrecy, all of the fear and waiting, was finally over. Whatever the outcome of the battle was, it would end the prophecy forever.

     As they raced along the moor, Darkbreeze's ears suddenly flew forward. “I can hear cats screeching!” she gasped. Blazeheart perked his ears forward, only to stiffen in fear. Darkbreeze was right; the faint sound of cats yowling and shrieking could be heard from the distance. He picked up his pace, pushing himself faster towards the sound as his friends and Clanmates followed after.

     Finally, they arrived at the edge of the hollow. Two forms were moving in the center of the hollow, dashing and twisting and clawing faster than any living cat had any right to. But as Blazeheart watched, he realized they weren't alone. One of the forms was being swarmed by more cats, who were keeping the cat's attention away from their foe.

     “Silentstorm!” Blazeheart yowled, fear seizing his heart. He launched himself down into the hollow, the other cats yowling battle cries as they poured into the hollow beside him. For a moment, the cats below were distracted from their battle as they gazed up at the newcomers.

     Blazeheart was able to recognize some of them as he drew nearer; Tree and Crow, former ShadowClan traitors, were there, as were some of Breeze's old campmates; Hollow, Ice, Bluebird, Storm, and Patch. Lightningstrike had told him their names, in one of her stories about living in Breeze's camp. There were three other cats he couldn't name, but could recognize; they had been in the battle at Breeze's camp, when he had brought in new reinforcements. A sleek brown tabby tom, a gray-and-white she-cat, and a tortoiseshell.

     The last cat had been obscured from view at first, but now she leaped away from the two fighting cats, back arched and yellow eyes gleaming with cruel delight. Blazeheart stiffened as he recognized the gray pelt and night-black paws. _Shrew!_ The she-cat was the cruel leader of ShadowClan's former traitors, and a former ally of Breeze's.

     The distraction of the Clan cats' arrival was a brief one. After a few moments, the rogues quickly returned to their battle. Blazeheart's breath caught as he saw them lunging at a large black she-cat, her gray eyes lit up with the fury of battle. _Silentstorm!_ The she-cat was able to whirl and slice at them with unimaginable speed, but her easy victories against the rogues kept her distracted from the gray she-cat behind her. With a snarl, Scorch lunged at Silentstorm, who only barely whirled on her in time to dodge the attack.

     Blazeheart's breath caught. _She's losing,_ he realized, fear clenching in his chest.

     Then, after a moment's pause, he forced his fear back. With a snarl of rage, he raced the last few steps into the hollow, then threw himself at the nearest rogue. As he tackled Bluebird, he could hear his fellow Clan cats doing the same.

     The battle had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It didn't occur to me until I started writing last chapter that this chapter is a bit of a fake-out, in terms of last chapter making it seem like the battle would begin in the very next chapter. I certainly didn't intend to make it a fake-out, but oh well. ^^ So the battle didn't quite start, or at least we didn't get to see cats fighting, until the very end of this chapter. But I hope the reveal of who gets to be in the battle made up for it. ^^
> 
> So yeah, it turns out that it's not a one-on-one battle after all. Because Shade is a big, fat cheater, and StarClan had to intervene to make it a fair fight. ^^ Blazeheart and all of Silentstorm's friends get to be in the fight after all, and Breeze's old allies are fighting for Shade's side. This should be interesting. ^^
> 
> Sorry for the wait on this chapter, but I was busy with something. I recently joined the Warrior Cats Amino app, under the name Jayfrost, and over the last few days I've been uploading all of the chapters, covers, and allegiances for this fanfic, for all six books and both novellas. And as that's something in the ballpark of 200 chapters/covers/allegiances total, as you can imagine, that took some time. But I finally got everything uploaded to the app, and now that I didn't have to worry about that, I got this chapter done relatively quickly.
> 
> I did also hit a snag while writing this chapter. I had this idea of all of Silentstorm's friends being warned in a dream that she was in danger, then waking up and rushing to her aid, for a long time. But I only just /now/ as I started writing the chapter realized the problem inherent in that - Eeltooth and Finstrike are one territory away from the rest of the group, and Specklefoot is on the other side of the freaking lake. And considering it took a day for Brambleclaw and company to circle around half of the lake in Starlight, I figure that's a fair distance to travel even if Specklefoot was running the whole way. I talked it over with my former roommate and finally worked out that she could use the tunnels to get there, hence why I had Hollyleaf and Jayfeather bring everyone into the tunnels in the dream. It was originally just going to be Jayfeather, but I figured that it made more sense for both Holly and Jay to give the warning.
> 
> I don't think I have much else to say about this chapter, other than it's weird to be this close to finishing the fanfic. ^^ Just three more chapters and an epilogue. Next chapter will be in the Silent One's POV, so stay tuned. ^^


	27. Chapter Twenty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle begins...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Five

     The Silent One had hardly had time to feel Shade's claws through their pelt when the Spirit of Darkness gave a commanding yowl. Without warning, cats were racing into the hollow, flinging themselves at the Silent One with yowls of rage. The Silent One turned on them with a furious snarl. One cat had fastened its jaws in the Silent One's shoulder; with a single flick of their paw, the Silent One sent the cat sprawling, and had already recovered to deliver swipes and slices to its companions. The blind cat had more strength and speed in one claw than these cats had all together; they were no challenge for the Silent One.

     But Shade was. As the Silent One was busy battling the living cats, Shade tackled them from behind. The two spirits were sent tumbling, the Silent One fighting fiercely to break free of their opponent's grasp. In the blink of a living cat's eye, they had broken apart, and the Silent One was back on their paws.

     In that instant, the Silent One understood the plan of their enemy. "Coward!" they howled in rage, their hackles flying up. "Traitor! We agreed that this fight was between us!" Even as they spoke, they had to keep moving to avoid the attacks of the other cats.

     Shade's laughter was cruel with triumph and delight. "We both promised not to bring the dead into this battle," she reminded the Silent One. Without warning, she pounced again, this time carrying the Silent One to the ground. "We never said anything about the living,” she hissed in the Silent One's ear as she used one paw to press the Silent One's muzzle to the snow.

     There was no time to dwell on thought. Before Shade could take advantage of the Silent One's vulnerable position, they swung themselves onto their back, kicking out hard with their hind legs. Shade's grunt of pain told the Silent One that they'd hit a soft spot. Twisting around quickly, the Silent One pulled away from Shade's grip, kicking out quickly to push Shade away from them. The two cats scrambled apart, but before the Silent One could recover, they were being ambushed by living cats again.

     As the Silent One fought, they began to recognize their attackers. Shrew was lunging at her with a snarl, Tree was clawing at her flanks, and Bluebird was bearing down on her with claws extended. These were Breeze's cats, scattered and leaderless since the Clans had defeated them... no, that wasn't right. The Silent One could tell from the way these cats moved that they weren't leaderless; there was an organization, and a hierarchy, in how they attacked. The clear leader was Shrew, the former ShadowClan traitor who had led her Clanmates in rebellion against a leader she saw as unfit due to his impure blood. The way she held herself as she attacked, the way the other cats reacted to the flicks of her tail and the snap of her jaws, told the Silent One that she was in charge.

     But unlike the battle against Breeze, the Silent One got the feeling that killing the leader wouldn't be enough to make these cats scatter. Whenever Shade came near them, they flinched away in terror, even in the middle of an attack. The stench of their fear rolled off them in waves. They feared Shade too much to disobey her; only the final defeat of the Spirit of Darkness would halt their attack. Shrew was leading the attack, but Shade was the ultimate authority. Until Shade was dead, they would fight to the death on her behalf.

     Frustrated, the Silent One lunged at Shade with a snarl, only to feel themselves caught off-balance as several of the rogues clung to their sides and flanks like burrs. They had to twist away quickly to avoid the snap of Shade's jaws near their throat. Despair threatened to take over as the Silent One scrambled back onto their paws. As long as these living cats were distracting them, Shade had the upper paw.

     The Silent One was thrown into a panicked, desperate dance as they had to duck, whirl, and leap to avoid the attacks of so many cats. Attacks were coming from all sides, and any time they turned to face one cat, Shade was suddenly there with snapping jaws. It took all of Silentstorm's training to keep the Silent One alive.

     Inside, their mind was raging with fear and panic. Even Rock was starting to lose himself to panic, now that there were no visions of the future to assure him. _“We cannot lose!”_ Silentstorm could feel his despair, and his sudden doubt in the choices he had made that had led to this battle. _“Not after all of this!”_

     Silentstorm's own fear was beginning to catch up with her. _“I can't fail them!”_ New fury coursed through their shared veins. The Silent One made a desperate lunge for Shade, but the rogues were still clinging to her like fleas, and Shade was able to take control as she tackled the Silent One. A howl of agony escaped the Silent One as Shade's claws tore through their muzzle and shoulder fur.

     The Silent One managed to fight their way back onto their paws, but the hopelessness of the battle was quickly becoming apparent. They couldn't keep up this pace much longer. One-on-one, the Silent One and Shade were evenly matched; with this many new cats slowing down the Silent One, Shade clearly had the advantage. A cold pit of despair lodged itself in the Silent One's gut. _“We're going to lose.”_ Silentstorm whispered.

     Suddenly, a nearby yowl sounded. “Silentstorm!” More yowls sounded, along with the thunder of paws as cats plunged down into the hollow from above. Suddenly, the hollow was alive with cats writing and yowling as the newcomers attacked the rogues.

     Shock pulsed through the Silent One as they recognized the yowl. For a moment, Silentstorm pushed to the front of their mind. “Blazeheart?” she gasped. The mew that escaped the Silent One belonged solely to Silentstorm. New scents floated on the air now, throwing the she-cat even further into shock. “Darkbreeze? Nightfern? Ambertalon? What are you all doing here?”

     “We're here to help!” Ambertalon snarled as she tackled Tree. The former warrior snarled her rage as the tiny ThunderClan queen brought her to the ground, scoring her claws across her pelt as she held her against the snow. “You looked like you needed it!”

     Silentstorm and Shade had both paused in their attack for the moment, seeming stunned by the arrival of the new cats. “But... how...?”

     The next voice that spoke nearly took Silentstorm off her paws. “StarClan sent us all a dream,” Lightfoot called as he dodged a blow from Hollow. “They told us that Shade was going to ambush you.”

      _Lightfoot..._ Silentstorm's heart ached at the sound of his voice. She hadn't been so close to her mate since the night the Dark Forest had driven them from their home. But as much as she longed to be by his side again, she knew that time hadn't come yet. Silentstorm couldn't afford to be distracted; she had a battle to fight, and she couldn't let her focus waver for a moment.

     When the blind cat spoke again, it was in the powerful tone of the Silent One. “Keep the rogues off my back,” they called out to the Clan cats in a strong yowl as they threw themselves back into battle with Shade. “But leave Shade to me!” The last thing they needed was any of the living Clan cats getting hurt because they'd decided to take on Shade.

     “We're on it!” Darkbreeze snarled. She flung herself at a she-cat named Bracken, one of Breeze's later allies. She and Bracken tumbled away from the Silent One, the WindClan warrior raking her claws fiercely across the belly of her opponent. Bracken wailed her pain as she desperately tried to pull free.

     With the Clan cats handling the rogues, the Silent One at last turned their full attention on Shade. “Looks like your little trick didn't work after all,” they sneered, taking a heavy swipe at Shade's head.

     Shade danced neatly out of range. She whirled around with frightening speed to snap at the Silent One's flank, but the Silent One had already pulled away, bringing their paw crashing down towards Shade's side. Shade moved, but not enough; the Silent One's claws tore through her flank. The Spirit of Darkness pulled away with a gasp of pain, a growl in her throat. “Think again, foxheart!” she snarled, rage in her mew. She managed to slice her claws across the Silent One's muzzle before they had a chance to pull away, drawing a gasp from the blind cat. “Do you really think five warriors is enough to best eleven rogues?”

     For a moment, the Silent One's heart sank again. Shade was right; though the Clan cats were fighting like TigerClan to keep the rogues away from the Silent One, they were grossly outnumbered. A she-cat named Shriek managed to slip away from the living cats and lunge at the Silent One. The blind cat turned on the rogue, sending her sprawling with a swipe of one paw, but the distraction gave Shade the chance to sink her claws into the Silent One's flanks. The Silent One yowled as Shade sank her fangs into the Silent One's back, hooking her claws into their flanks and hauling them closer.

     Panic seared through the Silent One as agony exploded in their back. Shade's fangs were dangerously close to their spine. With a furious snarl, the Silent One kicked out hard with their hind leg, twisting and fighting to get loose of Shade's grasp. A dull grunt of pain from Shade told the Silent One that their paw had connected with the she-cat. In the moment that Shade's grip was loosened, the Silent One slithered free, whirling back immediately to redirect the attack on their opponent.

     All around the two spirits, the living were locked in battle. Blazeheart was dancing out of Bluebird's reach, infuriating the larger tom as he ducked in and out to deliver blows. Darkbreeze and Nightfern were working together, racing around Bracken and Patch, tripping them and sending them off-balance. Ambertalon was fighting two cats at once, snarling her rage as she whirled away from Storm to slice her claws across Tree's muzzle. Lightfoot was still grappling with Hollow, trying to get a grip on the tom's broad shoulders as his fangs burrowed into Hollow's back.

     But as hard as the Clan cats fought, they were too outnumbered to take on all of the rogues. Shrew was already back at the Silent One's side, hooking her claws into the Silent One's flanks, while Ice and a tom named Falcon tried to hold down her back and shoulders. The Silent One threw them off easily, but Shade had her forelegs around the Silent One's neck before they could turn away. The extra weight of the living cats brought the Silent One crashing down onto the snow, with Shade pinning their shoulders. The Silent One wailed their pain as Shade's jaws burrowed in their neck. They fought desperately to pull free, but the grip of the other spirit was too strong, and the living cats were holding her back legs down.

     “Leave her alone!”

     New paws thundered down into the hollow as the yowl rang out. Suddenly, the weight of the living cats was being pulled off of the Silent One. Finstrike's furious snarl sounded nearby as she pulled Falcon away from the Silent One. Eeltooth and Specklefoot joined the fight beside her, working together to tackle Shrew and Ice. As they pulled the rogues off the Silent One, Darkbreeze called out to them, “Nice timing!”

     Eeltooth snarled as he raked his claws across Ice's muzzle. “Sorry we're late!” he called back to the WindClan queen. “It takes a while to reach the moor from RiverClan.” He dodged the furious snap of Ice's jaws, ducking low to pull her front legs out from under her.

     Hope seared through the Silent One's veins. Now it was eight warriors against eleven rogues. While the Clan cats were still outnumbered, the odds were much better. The Clan cats had a real chance to survive this. Now that the weight of the rogues was removed from their hind legs, the Silent One twisted onto their back, raking their hind claws rapidly against Shade's flanks. The pain was enough to make Shade release her grip on the Silent One's neck.

     After a brief struggle, the Silent One was able to get back to their paws, snow still clinging to their pelt. Joy was soaring in Silentstorm's heart, and she could feel relief from Rock now that the odds had shifted. All around them, the Clan cats were battling fiercely against the rogues. Blazeheart and Nightfern were battling back-to-back like they had grown up fighting together, fending off the attacks of Hollow and Storm. Darkbreeze had danced out of reach of Patch, taunting him loudly as she darted in to slice at his side with her claws. Crow had tried to leap onto Finstrike, but Specklefoot had tackled him to the ground, burrowing her jaws into his throat. The elderly tom wailed in pain, only for the sound to be cut off as his head fell limp against the ground. Specklefoot didn't release his throat until she was satisfied he was dead.

      _My friends._ Silentstorm's amazement at their arrival had faded, settling into a content warmth in her chest. Eeltooth, Specklefoot, and Darkbreeze had stood beside her since she was an apprentice, through some of the hardest times in her life. She had thought for so long that she would have to walk this path alone, but now she could see that she had never been alone. It felt more right than she ever could have guessed that that these cats were fighting beside her in this battle.

     Darkbreeze passed close to the Silent One as she snapped at Patch's flank, snarls and yowls sounding from the rest of the Clan cats nearby. Silentstorm's mind raged with vivid memories of these cats and what they meant to her. Darkbreeze, her first friend outside of the Clan, the cat who knew her better than almost anyone. They had killed Breeze together, helped each other through their heartaches and losses, and had always stood together. Eeltooth, the scared apprentice she helped climb a tree during a storm, and who had become her closest friend during her time in RiverClan. Specklefoot, the ShadowClan warrior who had trusted Silentstorm's honor even through her suspicion. They were as precious to her as Clanmates, and their loyalty to each other was as strong as the stars.

     As Blazeheart tackled Storm, Finstrike leaped in to help Nightfern take on Hollow. Neither of these cats were as close to Silentstorm as her other friends. Nightfern had always been so quiet, it had been hard to grow as close to her as to her sister, but time had taught Silentstorm to respect her. She had suffered more than any cat should ever have to – but she fought and loved and lived regardless of what she'd lost, with a courage greater than anything Silentstorm had known. Finstrike too had certainly never been Silentstorm's friend, as someone who had always wanted the lines between the Clans to be drawn as clearly as claw-marks. But she had earned Silentstorm's respect despite their differences. Her loyalty was not to Silentstorm, but to the Clans, and to the light – and to her brother. Silentstorm had never counted her as a friend, but she could feel the respect and acknowledgment of strength that connected the two she-cats, though no words passed between them now.

     The Silent One snarled as they leaped at Shade. They had intended to tackle their opponent, but Shade reared up instead, their forelegs locked around each others necks as they both fought to drag their opponent onto the ground. Nearby, Ambertalon gave a furious yowl. Tree had pinned her to the ground, but the small she-cat slashed out hard with her claws, catching Tree on the belly. The she-cat stumbled back with a snarl of pain.

     It was no wonder that the small she-cat was there for the battle, the Silent One reflected as Ambertalon scrambled quickly to her paws. Ambertalon had always had the ferocity of TigerClan, running eager and joyful into any battle. But her ferocity in battle was only matched by the ferocity of her love for her Clan and family, and Silentstorm had always valued her friendship. As Tree tried to make a break for the Silent One, Ambertalon cut her off with a furious snarl. “You'll have to get past me first, foxheart!” she screeched as she flung herself at the rogue.

     The Silent One finally manged to twist Shade underneath her, wrestling her to the ground. But the she-cat twisted her head away when they tried to snap their jaws over Shade's throat, her claws scoring across the Silent One's muzzle. As they struggled to keep Shade pinned, the Silent One could hear Blazeheart snarling as he leaped away from Storm's attack. Her heart filled with warmth at the sound; her brother had always stood beside her, ever since she was a kit. He had always supported her, challenged her, pushed to be more honest, and more loyal. Silentstorm couldn't remember a time in her life when he hadn't been right beside her, even when they were fighting. She knew that now, he was right where he wanted to be, fighting beside her for the light and for the Clans.

     Her thoughts finally settled on the final of the Clan cats as his growl sounded nearby, as he struggled against Hollow. _Lightfoot._ The quiet tom had always been in her life, but she didn't realize how much she cared about him until he had already sneaked his way into her heart. As a kit, as an apprentice, as a warrior, he had always been there, even when she hadn't seen it. Love for the quiet tom pulsed in her blood, filling her to the tips of her pelt with a vicious warmth, threatening to burst out of her with the force of it. As much as her heart ached with fear for him, she knew that there was no one she would rather fight, and die, beside in this battle if it came to that.

     Shade managed to rip free of the Silent One's grasp, turning on the blind cat with snapping jaws aiming for their throat. With a fierce snarl, the Silent One twisted away, turning back in time to slash across Shade's shoulder with unsheathed claws. She could feel the loyalty and support of her friends backing her as she flew into battle against the Spirit of Darkness, hearing their yowls and their snarls all around her. _“We can win this,”_ Silentstorm thought fiercely as her fangs aimed for Shade's neck.

      _“We have to.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we're getting really close to the end here. Only two regular chapters left, and an epilogue...
> 
> I'm not totally sure about the last few paragraphs of this chapter, I wasn't sure whether Silentstorm was droning on a little too long in her monologue, but it didn't feel right not to include her thoughts on these guys. Ah well, I'm pretty satisfied with this overall. I just hope the rest of the battle turns out well.
> 
> Crow died in this chapter, and he was sent to the Dark Forest and was led there by nobody. And just as a head's up for the rest of the battle - I may not confirm which, if any, cats have died right away. So don't expect 100% confirmations on deaths until we start wrapping this up.
> 
> I can't think of what else I wanted to say about this chapter. I'll try to have the next one posted soon, but there's some stuff I should probably do before posting that chapter. :P So we'll see if I get that done first.


	28. Chapter Twenty Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle rages on...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Six

     Eeltooth danced out of Ice's reach, snarling as her claws swiped at empty air. “Stay out of this, Clan fools!” Ice hissed, her ice-blue eyes glittering with malice as she lunged at the gray tom. “This isn't your fight!”

     With a snarl, Eeltooth struck out at the white she-cat, who just barely dodged the attack. “It's every cat's fight!” he snapped, twisting away as her jaws snapped near his throat. He was unable to move away in time as her paw came smashing down on his muzzle, sending him crashing to the ground. But as Ice tried to pin him, he twisted around onto his paws, shoving up hard against her chest with his shoulder. As she stumbled, off-balance, he managed to get to his paws long enough to shove her away from him.

     As Eeltooth got his bearings back, his gaze swept over the hollow. All around him, his friends were locked in battle with the rogues. Blazeheart was snarling as he clawed at Storm's shoulder, Darkbreeze and Specklefoot were working together to off-balance Hollow and Patch. Nightfern screeched as the tortoiseshell with the torn ear bit down on her shoulder, and Lightfoot was fighting to throw off Bluebird. Finstrike slashed Shrew across the muzzle, before whirling around to claw at the brown-and-white tabby. Ambertalon was fighting like all of TigerClan against Tree and the gray-and-white she-cat. The whole clearing was alive with cats screeching and wailing and clawing, locked in a desperate battle. This was no border skirmish where cats could back out and run if they were too badly injured; this was a fight to the death.

     Two more cats could be seen, a few fox-lengths from the rest. Eeltooth could barely make them out; the massive she-cats were like a whirlwind, leaping and whirling and slashing faster than his gaze could follow. They moved with the strength of TigerClan, and a greater speed than any living cat. Scorch's golden eyes were blazing with fury and cruel delight as she lunged at her opponent with claws outstretched. But it was the gray eyes of Scorch's opponent that sent chills through Eeltooth's pelt.

      _Silentstorm._

     The blind warrior was fighting with all of the power and courage of LionClan. Her shoulder and muzzle were bleeding heavily, but she twisted away from Scorch's attack without missing a beat, and had whirled back around to slash at Scorch's flanks before Eeltooth could even blink. As Scorch tried to grab at Silentstorm's pelt, Silentstorm ducked low to avoid her. While low, she grabbed Scorch's paw between her jaws, yanking hard enough to flip Scorch onto her back. Silentstorm tried to use her opponent's position to pin her, but Scorch kicked out hard against Silentstorm's jaw, sending her skidding back, while Scorch twisted neatly back onto her paws.

     Eeltooth watched the battle between them with a twinge of unease. Many of the moves Silentstorm was using were attacks that Eeltooth had seen her use before, and there was no mistaking his friend's courage and strength in the cat fighting in front of him. But the glow in her gray eyes belong to another cat entirely. It was chilling to watch one of his closest friends, knowing that it wasn't just her staring back.

      _“Rock needed new body to fight her, and stop her forever, to make light and dark as one once more.”_ Midnight's words flashed in Eeltooth's mind. He remembered what she had told them about the Spirit of Light, and how he had to possess Silentstorm in order to win the battle against the darkness. Until the dark was defeated forever, and Scorch lay dead, Silentstorm wouldn't be freed from Rock's control. She would be tied to him until the prophecy was finally fulfilled.

     Eeltooth hadn't thought there was any way he or the others could help Silentstorm fulfill the prophecy. But he had been proved wrong that night, when StarClan warriors had come to them in their dreams, and told them of the rogues planning to attack Silentstorm. When he'd woken, he and Finstrike had been lying side by side, in their nests in the warrior's den. Both cats had been gasping when they'd woken, the fear and urgency of their dream following them into the waking world.

     Without a word, both cats had left their nests behind and stepped out of the den. They stood in the silence of the camp for a few moments, trying to take in the truth of their dream.

     More fear than Eeltooth had ever known was coursing through his blood. He knew the weight of what they were being asked to do, and what they would be risking. There was a good chance none of them would come back from this battle. And yet, he knew there was nothing that could keep him away. His closest friends were in danger, and his Clan's fate hung in the balance of this battle. He would die fighting to save them if that's what it took.

     But as he glanced at the cat beside him, he felt a moment of doubt. Finstrike was as brave and loyal a warrior as he'd ever known, but she had never approved of his friendships outside of the Clan, and she had never liked Silentstorm very much. Would she falter now that they were being called to defend his friends outside of the Clan?

     “I know you don't like Silentstorm...” he started, only to be cut off by Finstrike's glare.

     Her amber eyes were burning with a cold fury as she hissed, “This isn't about Silentstorm, or any one cat. If this fight is lost, _everyone_ will suffer for it. There's no way I'm missing this battle – and there's no way I'm not standing beside you for this fight.” Eeltooth could see the strength of her loyalty, to him and to her Clan, burning in her eyes. In that moment, all of his doubts flew from his mind. He knew that, no matter what came next, his sister would fight beside him to the death.

     They had left the camp behind them after that, racing across their territory in their desperation to reach the battle. Sometime after they crossed the border, they had run into Specklefoot, who had crossed into the territory through the tunnels. The three cats had raced to the hollow as fast as their paws could carry them. They had found the battle already underway, their friends outnumbered, and someone else staring out of the eyes of Silentstorm.

     That glow was in her eyes now, as she lunged at Scorch with snapping jaws. It had been a while since they had arrived to aid the fight, and the battle had been going on for what felt like moons. Each time Silentstorm seemed to get an edge over Scorch, the gray she-cat found a new way to counter her enemy's blows. The two she-cats were locked in battle now, Silentstorm raised up on her hind paws as she slashed at Scorch's muzzle. Scorch tried to take advantage of her position to unbalance her, but Silentstorm was back on all four paws in an instant, grabbing at Scorch's pelt and twisting to take them both to the ground.

     Eeltooth watched them a moment longer, then threw himself back into the battle with a snarl. He lunged at Hollow, scoring his claws across the tom's flanks. Hollow howled his rage, his amber eyes blazing as he whirled on the RiverClan warrior. But Specklefoot and Darkbreeze were there, snarling as they sank their claws and fangs into the dark tabby's pelt. Between the three of them, they were able to drag Hollow to the ground. With the tom pinned, Eeltooth saw his chance. He gave a snarl as he buried his jaws in the large tom's throat, tasting blood as he bit down harder and harder.

     Hollow gave a hoarse cry of rage, but no matter how he struggled, he couldn't pull free from the three warriors. Darkbreeze had his hind legs pinned, and Specklefoot was digging her claws into his shoulders, using her weight to keep his front legs still. Panic blazed in his eyes as the tom realized he was dying. He gave a gargled sound, giving one last, desperate attempt to break free. But finally, the fight died from his eyes. Hollow's gaze glazed over forever as his head thumped against the ground.

     Eeltooth finally pried his jaws from the tom's throat, spitting out blood and fur. “One less traitor to deal with,” he growled. Though Eeltooth had never known Hollow before he'd left, the dark tabby had once been a warrior of RiverClan, before betraying his Clan to the Dark Forest. Darkbreeze growled her agreement, while Specklefoot's eyes just glowed with a dark light.

     They were distracted from their victory by a furious snarl. Ice, Shrew, and the brown-and-white tabby were swarming Silentstorm, keeping her distracted as Scorch lunged at her. Silentstorm managed to whirl away before Scorch could drag her to the ground, but Scorch's claws managed to score across her chest. The blind warrior stumbled a step away. She gasped her pain as blood pulsed from her wounded chest.

     Panic flared in Eeltooth's chest. Next to him, Darkbreeze gasped. “She's hurt!”

     “Come on!” Specklefoot snarled, eyes glittering with a dangerous light. “She needs help!” The tortoiseshell sprang away, Eeltooth and Darkbreeze quickly following behind. They threw themselves into the fight, pulling the rogues away from Silentstorm and drawing them into battle. Eeltooth narrowly avoided the snap of Shrew's jaws, twisting away from the gray she-cat. The ShadowClan traitor's eyes were glittering with malice, her claws flashing in the starlight as she slashed at Eeltooth's pelt. Eeltooth ducked low to avoid her claws, jerking his muzzle forward to grab her hind leg between his teeth. With a quick tug, he pulled her hind end off balance. But before he could take advantage of her lack of balance, claws were hooked into Eeltooth's pelt, and he felt himself being dragged away from the she-cat. Bluebird's amber gaze was burning with fury as he tackled Eeltooth to the ground, burying his jaws in Eeltooth's shoulder.

     Eeltooth screeched his pain, striking out blindly. A grunt of pain from Bluebird told Eeltooth he'd gotten a hit. The tom wrapped his foreleg around Bluebird, digging his claws into the tom's blue-gray pelt as he fought to twist onto his belly. They struggled briefly, before Eeltooth was able to gain the upper paw and push Bluebird away from him. The two toms pulled apart, struggling onto their paws. For a few moments, they both took a moment to pause. Exhaustion flooded through Eeltooth – his wounds were burning like fire, and he could feel the energy draining from his limbs. A gash on his flank was filling him with blinding pain, shooting through every muscle each time he moved, and he could feel slices on his chest and back throbbing with agony.

     All around Eeltooth, he could see his friends suffering the same fate. Lightfoot was limping now, a deep slice on one flank slowing him down, while Finstrike fought nearby with a badly-bleeding muzzle. Darkbreeze's ear had a nasty tear as she faced down Storm, and Nightfern's nose and muzzle were covered in blood, the queen swaying on her paws as she tried to keep fighting. Blazeheart gave a wail of agony as the tortoiseshell's claws tore at his shoulders, leaving a large gash.

     It wasn't just the Clan cats who were starting to flag. Across from Eeltooth, Bluebird was swaying on his paws, a deep gash on his side pulsing with blood. Ice's pace had slowed, her eyes glazed over with pain as a wound on her back bled, and Patch's ear was badly torn. Overhead, the sky was beginning to lighten, though the sun had not yet peaked over the horizon. _We've been fighting almost half the night,_ Eeltooth though, exhaustion creeping through his pelt. _How much longer can we keep doing this?_ And yet, he knew they couldn't stop, not the Clan cats, and not the rogues. They all knew that there was too much riding on this battle to even let up for a moment. Until either Silentstorm or Scorch won, every last one of these cats would keep fighting to the death.

     A piercing screech distracted Eeltooth from his view of the battle for a moment. He whirled to look at the tiny she-cat who had cried out. Ambertalon had been fighting Patch and the gray-and-white she-cat, the fury of TigerClan blazing in her eyes as she ducked and weaved between fighting the two. But as she was turning to face Patch again, Ice came out of nowhere, rearing up on her hind legs and bringing her front paw crashing across Ambertalon's face. The force of the blow sent the tiny she-cat to the ground, where the three rogues swarmed on her, their snarls rising in pitch as they descended on their prey.

     “No! Leave her alone!” Blazeheart immediately abandoned his fight against the tortoiseshell, hurtling himself at the rogues that had swarmed his mate. He took Ice off of her paws, snarling desperately as he clawed at her muzzle. Eeltooth left Bluebird behind, joining Nightfern as they leaped in to pull Patch and the gray-and-white she-cat off of Ambertalon. A chill ran through Eeltooth's pelt as he glanced at Ambertalon. The she-cat's pelt and face were cake in blood, terrible gashes all over her pelt. She wasn't moving.

     Blazeheart seemed to realize this as well as he looked over from fighting Ice. “Ambertalon!” he wailed. He tried to break free and race to her side, but Ice hooked her claws into his pelt, dragging the tom back into the battle. Eeltooth tried to reach him, only for Patch to block his path, fangs bared in a snarl. Eeltooth bared his teeth in kind, meeting the black-and-white tom's attack as Patch lunged at him.

     As the Clan cats and rogue fought, Silentstorm and Scorch were still locked in their own battle. Both cats were beginning to flag, as exhausted and wounded as their less-powerful allies. Terrible slices ran across Silentstorm's chest and muzzle, her sides and flanks scored with clawmarks and gashes. Scorch was panting now, her shoulder and sides bleeding heavily, one eye partially closed as the skin around it grew puffy from nearby wounds. But the two cats continued to fly at each other, not missing a step as they lunged and clawed, trying to find an advantage over the other.

     “Give it up, Silent One!” Scorch taunted, eyes glowing with a cruel light. The mew that came from Scorch's mouth didn't belong to her; it was the voice of another cat entirely. _Shade,_ Eeltooth thought. “The longer you draw this out, the faster your little friends will die.” For a moment, her golden gaze flitted towards the fighting Clan cats. “Give up now, and maybe I'll let them live.”

     Silentstorm dodged Scorch's next blow, her gray gaze darker than Eeltooth had ever seen it. “I'd never leave any cat to live in a world ruled by you!” she snarled, in a voice that wasn't her own. “If I die today, it will be from doing everything in my power to stop you!” She lunged at Scorch with a furious roar, but Eeltooth could see that she was beginning to slow. Pain was glowing in her gray eyes, and her pelt was caked with blood. _She can't go on much longer,_ Eeltooth thought grimly.

     As the sky grew lighter, the battle began to slow as every cat grew more exhausted. Tree was sprawled out on the ground, eyes glazed over with death, throat bleeding from a wound delivered by Ambertalon before her fall. Lightfoot was stumbling from a wound on his flank; as the tortoiseshell descended on him, he collapsed, groaning. He didn't stir again from where he'd fallen. Storm was lying motionless on the ground, and Patch seemed hardly awake as he stumbled through his fight against Finstrike. The sleek she-cat was easily able to trip up her enemy, sending him crashing to the ground. But as Eeltooth watcher her, Finstrike's flanks and side were bleeding heavily, and her muzzle was covered in blood. She didn't look much better off than any of the cats fighting.

     Fear clutched at Eeltooth's heart like ice-cold claws. _We're losing cats._

     Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of gray fur. Darkbreeze was battling against Bluebird, desperation glowing in her eyes as she ducked and weaved to avoid the attacks of the larger tom. Cold fear crept through Eeltooth's pelt when he saw what had caught his eye; Shrew had left behind her battle with Nightfern, having left the she-cat twitching on the ground, and was now coming for Darkbreeze. One of Darkbreeze's sides was covered in blood, a long wound reaching across her pelt and draining her; she would never survive a fight against two cats in this state.

     “Leave her alone!” Eeltooth roared. He raced past the other fighting cats, lunging at Shrew before she had a chance to reach Darkbreeze. The two cats were sent tumbling, snarling as they fought to pin the other. Eeltooth tried to wrestle her onto her side, but Shrew was faster.

     She used her weight to slam Eeltooth onto his back, digging her claws into his pelt. “You Clan cats should have learned by now,” she hissed as she pushed Eeltooth's muzzle into the snow with one paw. “Fighting to protect halfClan scum like that only makes you weak. And now you'll die for it!”

     Eeltooth kicked out against her belly, but with a swift movement, she had pinned his back legs, and was moving in to bite his throat. He struck out against her muzzle with unsheathed claws, the rogue giving a howl of pain as she pulled her muzzle back. Now that her grip was loosened, Eeltooth fought to pull loose, twisting around to push at her chest with his shoulder. But his leg had been sliced during the fight, and was too weak to support him. Shrew was able to push him back off-balance, and the two cats were back to struggling to gain the upper paw. Eeltooth was on top of Shrew, and had nearly managed to pin Shrew's limbs when her claws sliced through his throat.

     Blinding pain exploded in Eeltooth's throat and chest. With a gargled cry, he tried to push onto his paws, only to fall forward onto Shrew. The rogue managed to wriggle free from under Eeltooth, snarling as she turned back to attack him. Eeltooth tried to push onto his paws to meet her attack, but his limbs wouldn't obey him anymore. His paws twitched feebly, curling uselessly against his body as white-hot pain spread through every hair on his pelt.

     A horrified shriek sounded from nearby. Before Shrew could attack Eeltooth again, two blurs flew at her, taking the rogue off of her paws. Eeltooth was able to make out Finstrike and Specklefoot as they threw themselves into battle against Shrew. Specklefoot's eyes were burning with cold fury, but Finstrike was roaring her rage, showing no mercy as she slashed and sliced at the rogue. At first, Shrew gave back as good as she got, her claws tearing through the soft flesh of Finstrike's ear, then turning to slash at Specklefoot's face. But that quickly changed as the two warriors ganged up on her.

     Shrew screeched her fear as Specklefoot slammed the she-cat onto her back. Before the rogue could react, Finstrike had struck out with her claws, digging them deep into Shrew's pelt as she tore open the flesh of her belly. Shrew's eyes bugged out as she screamed in agony, the soft fur of her belly quickly becoming stained and splotched with blood. She made one last, desperate thrash to pull free, before falling limp as the pain took over. The rogue gave a few more, feeble twitches, before falling still forever.

     With Shrew dead, Finstrike tried to race to Eeltooth's side. But Bluebird got in her way, snarling as he tackled the RiverClan warrior. Eeltooth tried to call out to her, but the words died in his throat. All that escaped his mouth was a soft gargling. His whole body was beginning to feel heavy; the pain in his wounds was giving way to a chilling numbness. Ice seemed to be creeping through every hair on his pelt, chilling him all the way down to his bones. Fear was thundering in his chest; for a moment, his gaze met Finstrike's, and her could see her terror and desperation glowing there. But Bluebird dragged her back into the fight, away from him.

     Eeltooth managed to move his muzzle just enough to get a better view of the battle. The small movement sent agony shooting through his whole body, a whimper of pain escaping him. But he had to know. His vision was starting to blur, but he could still see Scorch and Silentstorm, locked in a desperate battle. Both cats were starting to slow, their wounds slowing them down. As Eeltooth watched, Silentstorm stumbled onto her side, looking exhausted.

     Cruel delight lit in Scorch's eyes. “This is where it ends, Silent One!” she screeched. With a yowl of fury, she pounced at Silentstorm.

     Something lit up in Silentstorm's gray eyes. She shifted quickly onto her back as Scorch flew at her. Instead of landing to pin Silentstorm, Scorch was greeted with all four of Silentstorm's paws, which she used to throw Scorch to the side. Silentstorm struggled back onto her paws, crossly quickly over to her opponent. Scorch had landed on her side, and before she could push back to standing, Silentstorm was there. The two cats struggled, tumbling and twisting as each battled to pin the other.

     Finally, their screeching fell silent. Eeltooth's vision was growing dark. He struggled to see what was happening, but all he could see were the shapes of the two cats, totally still.

     Then, Silentstorm stood. She took a few, shaky steps away from Scorch. As Eeltooth watched, he saw Scorch gasping for air, her throat gushing with blood from a wound from Silentstorm's claws.

     “You're right,” Silentstorm growled in the same, strange tone. “This is where it ends. Forever.”

     A soft sight escaped Eeltooth. The ice had crept over his entire pelt now. He tried one last time to lift his muzzle, only for it to fall uselessly back to the ground. A sense of relief came over him. _It's over,_ he thought as the world seemed to fade around him. _We won._ As a shimmering mist began to rise from Scorch's body, the sun began to peak over the horizon. A new dawn had finally come.

     Eeltooth closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _FULL COMPANY:_
> 
> _The world turned upside down  
>  The world turned upside down  
> Down  
> Down, down, down_
> 
> _LAFAYETTE:_
> 
> _Freedom for America, freedom for France!_
> 
> _FULL COMPANY:_
> 
> _Down, down, down_
> 
> _HAMILTON:_
> 
> _Gotta start a new nation, gotta meet my son!_
> 
> _FULL COMPANY:_
> 
> _Down, down, down_
> 
> _MULLIGAN:_
> 
> _We won!_
> 
> _LAFAYETTE:_
> 
> _We won!_
> 
> _MULLIGAN/LAFAYETTE/LAURENS:_
> 
> _We won!_
> 
> _MULLIGAN/LAFAYETTE/LAURENS/HAMILTON/WASHINGTON:_
> 
> _We won!_
> 
> _FULL COMPANY:_
> 
> _The world turned upside...  
>  Down!_
> 
> Sorry, I just felt the need to include that, as the last few lines of this chapter made me think of this song. Especially Eeltooth's thought there. ^^
> 
> As I warned last chapter, I'm not going to confirm for certain any cats that weren't explicitly stated to die in this chapter. As for the cats who did die: Hollow, Tree, and Shrew all went to the Dark Forest, and were led there by no one.
> 
> I hope this chapter lived up to expectations. ^^ I'm a bit nervous about it for some reason, but yeah. I can't wait to have next chapter done, but at the same time I don't want to finish it, because then, other than the epilogue, the main series of EOTW will be over. It's a weird feeling.
> 
> I'll try to have next chapter out soon. It might switch between POVs a bit.


	29. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finishing blow is landed...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Chapter Twenty Seven

     The Silent One knew they couldn't keep up this pace much longer. It felt like the battle had been raging for moons, and both they and Shade were were starting to slow from their many wounds. But as long as one was still standing, the other couldn't quit the fight.

     After ducking to avoid a blow from Shade, the Silent One was thrown off-balance. They stumbled onto their side with a groan. Desperation to continue the battle raged in their heart, but for a few moments, exhaustion kept them pinned to the spot.

     A howl of cruel delight sounded from a few paces away. The Silent One could feel the growing triumph and glee from their opponent, who clearly thought she had nearly won. “This is where it ends, Silent One!” Shade screeched. With a yowl of fury, she pounced at the Silent One.

     In that brief moment, a memory stirred in Silentstorm's memory. She recalled her only training session with Mistystar, when she was still an apprentice, and one of the moves Mistystar had used against her. _"We have to try."_

     Quick as a snake, the Silent One shifted onto their back just as Shade flew at her. Instead of landing to pin the Silent One, Shade was greeted with all four of Silentstorm's paws, which they used to throw Shade to the side. The Silent One was tired, and Shade was heavy, so she wasn't thrown very far; she flopped to the ground a few whisker-lengths from the Silent One, groaning.

      _"Now!"_ The Silent One struggled back onto their paws, stumbling the short distance to their opponent. Shade had landed on her side, and before she could push back to standing, the Silent One was there. The two cats struggled, tumbling and twisting as each battled to pin the other.

     Shade seemed to sense that this was the final struggle. The spirit gave a howl of rage as she fought to pin her opponent. She nearly got the upper paw on the Silent One, but finally, the Silent One was the stronger. Shade was pinned underneath them, after a long struggle for control, still fighting like TigerClan to get free. The Silent One managed to push Shade's muzzle into the snow long enough to bring their claws slashing across her throat.

     A gargled cry escape Shade. As the Silent One pushed unsteadily to their paws, taking a few steps back from the body, Shade was reduced to twitching feebly. Her torn throat left her unable to vocalize her rage and fear, but the Silent One could sense it in every hair of their pelt.

     “You're right,” the Silent One growled, standing over their fallen opponent. “This is where it ends. Forever.”

     Blazeheart was still battling Ice when he saw Silentstorm stumbling away from the still form of Scorch. Ice froze at the sight, tail fluffing out in terror, allowing Blazeheart to scramble back onto his paws.

     He limped closer to the she-cats, eyes widening as he took in the slashed throat of Scorch. The rogue's golden eyes were glowing with rage, but there was also fear, and even a tinge of regret. The fear grew and grew as the she-cat came closer to dying.

     The Silent One listened grimly to the dying gasps of their enemy. In those last moments, Shade lost the strength to hold onto her control of Scorch. The Silent One could feel Shade drawing back into a sliver of Scorch's mind, while Scorch pushed outward, filling up her own pelt with her conscience. The Silent One could feel her rage, and fear. Scorch had been a stranger to Silentstorm; but Rock knew the past and future of all of the living, and those memories played in the mind of the Silent One now.

     As Scorch began to slip away, the Silent One drew their muzzle closer. "The Society of the Street will never be hurt by you again." A small gargling, an attempt at a growl, came from Scorch's direction. "They are safe. Your revenge is lost to you.”

     Rage and hatred flared from Scorch for a moment, before fear took over again. Terror spiked in her mind, until finally, her muzzle fell back against the snow. Scorch gave a final twitch, then fell still forever. The rogue was dead.

     As Blazeheart watched, a shimmering mist began to rise from Scorch's body. Silentstorm took a deep breath, then approached her fallen foe. She reached out, touching her nose to the mist.

     Instantly, Silentstorm stiffened, her eyes growing wide. Her jaws clenched, pelt trembling with pain. Blazeheart took a step towards her to help her, only to be pushed back as blasts of icy wind burst from Silentstorm as she seemed to breath the mist in. Soon, it had drawn into Silentstorm completely, making her pelt seem to shimmer. Powerful waves were still coming off of the she-cat as the wind howled.

     The Silent One's mind was in turmoil. Agony tore through the cat's body as the weakened energy of Shade was absorbed. As the transformation drew to a close, stunned realization came over Silentstorm. _"You never told me,”_ she gasped.

      _"It was my decision to make,"_ came the rasping tone of Rock. There was sadness there, but also relief, and a sense of peace. Before Silentstorm could protest again, Rock's mind began to rip away from her own. In a few moments, it was over. The Silent One was no more, and Silentstorm's body was her own again. Fresh exhaustion came over the she-cat. She slumped onto the snowy ground with a groan, her wounds aching far more fiercely now that Rock's power wasn't supporting her. She closed her eyes as the pain threatened to overwhelm her.

     When the waves of icy wind finally died down, Blazeheart was finally able to look up again. The battle had come to a grinding halt as every cat watched the spectacle in front of them. As the dawn broke behind them, Blazeheart saw two cats beside the fallen body of Scorch. One was his sister, who was lying motionless beside her fallen enemy. The second was a stranger.

     "Who are you?" Specklefoot growled, taking a step towards the new cat. Darkbreeze pushed past the rest of the crowd, limping to Silentstorm's side, but everyone else kept their gazes on the new cat.

     The cat who stood beside Scorch and Silentstorm was a large she-cat, with a black-and-white pelt. Her sides and back were splashed with black patches, and her head was half black and half white, with a white stripe reaching up between her eyes. One eye was golden, and the other was a familiar gray.

     There was something calm glowing in the she-cat's eyes, something intelligent and knowing. In a voice ringing with power, the she-cat announced, "I am what Rock has created. I hold power over both the light, and the dark. From Rock, and from Silentstorm, I was given the mercy and wisdom to know how to protect those in my care." Her eyes glowed with some power Blazeheart could never guess at as she rumbled, "I am Dawn, the Spirit of Light and Darkness.”

     Blazeheart stiffened. _Dawn._ The name stirred a memory in him, but he wasn't certain yet. “Where is Rock?” he demanded.

     Dawn dipped her head. “Rock is gone,” she murmured. “He knew that it was time for a change. The detachment of the spirits from the living is what started this battle; he didn't feel he was the right one to hold the power over both light and dark. Instead, he created something new, with the power of both spirits, but with the compassion and understanding of life drawn from Silentstorm, and intelligence from Scorch. What is left of the consciousness of Shade and Rock walk in the realms of light and dark now, as simple cats among the dead.” For a moment, her gaze narrowed, flashing with fire as she turned her glare on the remaining rogues. “You are not welcome here. Take your wounded and go, while I still allow it.”

     The rogues didn't waste any time. They had been watching the fall of their leader, and the rise of the new spirit, with obvious terror. But now, they finally began to flee. The three of Breeze's later allies fled immediately, as did a badly-bleeding Ice, but Bluebird lingered long enough to help Patch and Storm to their paws. The littermates seemed barely conscious as Bluebird led them away; Blazeheart wondered whether they would survive their wounds. Finally, they were gone, and the Clan cats were left alone in the hollow with the dead, and with Dawn.

     With the rogues gone, Blazeheart turned his attention back to Dawn. A sense of wonder came over him. “The prophecy,” he murmured, sharing a glance with Specklefoot. His mind flashed back to the prophecy Midnight had given them in their dreams. _“Sacrifice in silence will bring the new dawn.”_ This had to be what she had meant. The sacrifice wasn't just Silentstorm's – it was Rock's, his sacrifice of his powers and his existence as the Spirit of Light to create a new Dawn, who would watch over the living with the power of both the light and the dark. Both prophecies had finally been fulfilled. He could see similarities to his sister in Dawn's size and coloring, and one of her eyes was a lighter version of his sister's gray. The other was the same golden as Scorch's, but with a kindness that Scorch's eyes had never held.

     Darkbreeze had been sniffing over Silentstorm's pelt while Dawn was speaking. The blind she-cat was barely moving; at first, Blazeheart feared the worst. But Darkbreeze finally called to the others, “She's still alive!” Even as she spoke, Silentstorm began to stir, blinking groggily.

     Silentstorm groaned as she lifted her muzzle, trying to get a sense of what was going on around her. Immediately, the scent of Dawn hit her, and she understood. She hadn't known what Rock was planning to sacrifice until the moment she had touched her nose to Shade's mist. Even after sharing the same mind and body for half a moon, he had been able to keep that last secret from her.

     She dipped her muzzle to Dawn, even as pain flared through her wounds. “Welcome,” she murmured. It was oddly quiet in her mind; there was a great freedom in having total control of her own body again, but she also felt weaker now, more vulnerable. It would take a while to get used to not having the power of LionClan surging through her pelt. “It's good to meet you – though I didn't know you were coming.”

     “Rock knew the choice he had to make, and he didn't want any cat mourning him before he was gone,” Dawn explained. She dipped her head respectfully to the blind warrior, rumbling, “The stars will honor your courage forever, Silentstorm. Your sacrifice allowed this battle to be won today. Now that I control both the light and the dark, I will close off the dark realms forever from the living. The spirits of the dark realms will never be able to walk in the living world again, or walk in the dreams of the living, or affect the living or those in the light realms in any way. Because of you, the dead will never again be able to hurt the living.”

     Warmth was beginning to glow in Silentstorm's chest, spreading out through her pelt until she could feel it reaching the tips of her fur. It was finally starting to hit her that it was over, the prophecy was finally over, and she had finished her job. Now, she was free, and the light was safe forever. She had done it. She gave Dawn a weak nod in reply, too emotional to speak.

     As she turned to start licking some of her wounds, Darkbreeze asked Dawn, “Will she be okay?”

     “I'm fine,” Silentstorm muttered, though just the act of licking her wounds seemed to drain her instantly. After a few licks, her head flopped back onto the ground, pain searing through her wounds and exhaustion lapping at her pelt.

     Dawn dipped her head. “She will live,” she said, her mew ringing with power and truth. “Though she will need a medicine cat.”

     As Silentstorm continued grooming, she could hear a cat limping towards her. Her heart soared with joy as Lightfoot came to lay beside her, pressing his muzzle against her cheek with a soft purr. The tom had been motionless on the ground during the battle; she'd almost feared he was dead. But now, he was lying beside her, his warm pelt pressing against her own as he gave her cheek a gentle lick. While he'd been approaching her, one hind paw had been held gingerly in the air. A deep slice ran through the tom's flank; Silentstorm wondered for a moment how badly the injury would affect Lightfoot's leg in the long-term. But the feeling of his pelt against her own filled her with too much relief to let worry get in the way. “Oh StarClan,” she murmured, lying her chin over his head as he drew closer to her. “I though I'd lost you.”

     Lightfoot gave a soft purr of amusement. “Not yet,” he mewed quietly. “You're stuck with me for now.” Silentstorm purred as she swept her tail around his flanks. Finally, after a half moon of waiting, the tom that she loved was beside her again. And soon, she would be able to see her kits again. Her precious daughters would be waiting for her in WindClan, and once they were reunited, they could all return to ThunderClan. The Dark Forest would never be able to take their home from them again. Her daughters would grow up in the safety of ThunderClan's nursery, where the darkness would never threaten them again, and they would grow into warriors of ThunderClan. Silentstorm was finally free to be with her family again.

     “ _No!_ ” Startled, Blazeheart turned his head towards the cry. What he saw made his blood freeze. Finstrike had been too stunned by her wounds from Shrew to move at first; almost the entirety of her left ear had been torn away, leaving a jagged stump, and a terrible gash had been torn in the side of her neck, as well as a nasty slice across her lips. But now, she had limped her way to Eeltooth's side. The large gray tom was lying motionless on the ground, a terrible gash torn open in his throat. Finstrike had been sniffing his pelt, but now she threw her head back, wailing her grief. “He's dead!”

     Silentstorm froze. The pain of her wounds suddenly seemed to fade to a dull numbness, every sound around her growing muffled. _Eeltooth... Eeltooth is dead?_ The truth of the words didn't properly sink in until she heard Specklefoot's gasp, and Darkbreeze's wail of grief. All of the muffled sounds snapped back into sharp clarity, and the pain of grief pierced her heart like a thousand claws.

     Ignoring Lightfoot's mew of surprise, she pushed herself onto her paws, and began limping towards the body of her friend. Every step sent new agony through her wounds, and her head felt light. But she didn't let herself stop until she was standing front of Eeltooth.

     The large tom was lying curled on the ground, the stench of death already rising from his fur. As Silentstorm ran a paw over his pelt, she could feel the blood clumping his thick fur together, and the terrible gash across his throat that had claimed his life. There was no sign left of the snarky, grumpy tom that had been her friend for so many moons in the curled-up body. All that was left was an empty shell, curled in on itself like a kit, already seeming smaller in death. Eeltooth was gone.

     A choked sob escaped Silentstorm. Eeltooth had been the first friend she'd made in RiverClan, after she'd help him climb a tree during the flood at the Gathering. His snark and his grumpy demeanor had hidden a warm, caring tom who always looked out for his friends. Silentstorm had relied on his support, and his friendship, for as long as she could remember. And now he was gone. Dead, defending her.

     She crouched beside the dead tom, her shoulders shaking with sobs as she pressed her muzzle against his pelt. “This is my fault,” she gasped, grief rising from her chest, forming a hard lump in her throat. “I... I should have...”

     Specklefoot was crouching across from Silentstorm, pressing her muzzle against Eeltooth's pelt as her paws trembling with grief. But when Silentstorm spoke, she looked up sharply, a hint of a growl in her voice. “It's not your fault,” she mewed sharply. “We all knew exactly what we were getting into and what the stakes were when we ran into this battle. It wasn't your choice to make.” Lightfoot had left the place they'd been laying by now, and had come to crouch beside Silentstorm, pressing his pelt against hers in silent comfort.

     Silentstorm flinched from her friend's words. She knew that Specklefoot was right – Eeltooth had made his own choice to join the battle. But that didn't make her feel any less guilty about his death. She flicked her ear towards Finstrike, who was crouching beside her brother's head. The RiverClan warrior was trembling with grief, her tail pulled tight around herself as she pressed her nose to her brother's pelt. Grief clawed at Silentstorm's pelt, and sympathy for the she-cat who had lost her brother. “Finstrike... I'm so sorry.”

     For a moment, Finstrike didn't stir. She stayed crouched beside her brother without saying a word. Then, she lifted muzzle. “Specklefoot is right,” she rasped, mew rough with grief. “Eeltooth knew what he was risking when he came here. He died fighting to save the light forever... he would have wanted to die fighting.” A sob broke from her as she buried her muzzle back into his pelt. “I just wish it hadn't been so soon.”

     Grief threatened to choke Silentstorm. Eeltooth had only seen two leafbares before joining StarClan. He'd had so much more time ahead of him, and he deserved to have more of it. Silentstorm wanted to wail aloud at the unfairness of it all. She would never get to see him again at Gatherings, never get to joke with him or ask him about RiverClan or remember old times. He was gone forever.

     “He walks with StarClan now.” Silentstorm started at the sound of the voice behind her. She turned her head, her ears swiveling to hear Dawn as the spirit approached her. Dawn's mew was soft with sympathy as she continued, “Eeltooth will be safe in the light realms now that the dark is locked away. You will see him again, when it is your time.”

     Silentstorm closed her eyes, turning back to press her muzzle against Eeltooth's pelt. She knew the spirit was right, but that didn't ease the grief that sat in her heart. The she-cat sighed, pressing against Lightfoot's pelt as she tried to battle the terrible pain of her loss.

     Grief clawed at Blazeheart's chest as he watched the Clan cats mourning Eeltooth. Nightfern had risen from where she'd been lying, dazed, and was now crouched beside her sister. Darkbreeze was shaking with grief as she crouched beside Eeltooth's body. Nightfern pressed her muzzle against her sister's pelt, murmuring something that Blazeheart couldn't hear. There was a deep slice across the brown she-cat's nose, and she seemed shaky even as she crouched, but there was a strong glow to her eyes. Specklefoot was beside Eeltooth as well, her amber eyes glowing with misery as she mourned her friend.

     Shock and terror spiked through Blazeheart's pelt as he realized which cat wasn't crouching beside the fallen tom.

     The tom swung his head around, heart racing when he finally noticed Ambertalon lying several fox-lengths away. The rest of the Clan cats forgotten, he raced to her side, checking her over desperately. The tiny she-cat was lying ominously still, most of her face and pelt caked in dirt. Long claw-marks ran across her face, and her chest was covered in deep scratches. She didn't appear to be moving.

     Then, he noticed it. The gentle rise and fall of her sides. Ambertalon was unconcious, but she was breathing, and her breathing seemed to be getting stronger. Relief nearly took Blazeheart off of his paws. He crouched beside Ambertalon immediately, nuzzling her cheek and starting to lick the blood from her pelt. “It's okay, love, I'm here,” he murmured, his mew cracking from emotion. Ambertalon's breathing grew more steady as her mate groomed her pelt. “I'm here.”

     “She will be alright, Blazeheart.” The tom started, pausing his grooming for a moment to look up at Dawn, who had left Eeltooth's side to come stand behind Blazeheart. The spirit's gaze was glowing with sympathy as she rumbled, “I can see snatches of the future, your futures. Ambertalon will live... but at the cost of her eye.” Her face fell on the side of Ambertalon's face that was visible, where the blood was thick enough to blot out her eye.

     A shudder ran through Blazeheart's pelt. _At the cost of her eye... just like her mother._ But, after a moment, determination took over. “She'll live,” he murmured, pressing his muzzle to her cheek for a moment. Desperate relief was washing over him, his love for the tiny she-cat pounding fiercely in his chest. He had never felt so much fear as when he'd thought he'd lost her – as long as she was alive, they would figure out the rest together. He knew Ambertalon was strong enough to survive anything, even the loss of her eye. They would survive it together. “That's what matters.”

     As Blazeheart began grooming her pelt again, Ambertalon stirred. She lifted her muzzle, her other eye blink groggily up at her mate. “Blazeheart?” she rasped, her mew weak and hoarse.

     “I'm here,” Blazeheart murmured. He lay beside Ambertalon, curling his tail protectively around her flanks and laying his paw over her shoulder.

     Ambertalon gave a weak purr. She tried to lift her muzzle to his, only to fall back to the ground with a whimper. “It hurts,” she groaned, her remaining eye glittering with pain.

     Sympathy ached in Blazeheart's chest. He pressed his muzzle against her cheek, murmuring, “I know, love. We'll get you to a medicine cat soon.”

     Specklefoot glanced up from Eeltooth's body for a moment, looking over Ambertalon with a critical eye. “We're not all going to make it as far as WindClan's camp in this state,” she murmured. “We should send someone to get a medicine cat.”

     “I have already opened the border between the light realms and the living again,” Dawn informed the tortoiseshell. “Warriors of StarClan sent signs to all of the Clans about the prophecy as soon as the battle was over. Crowfeather has sent a sign to Icefur and Cosmo – they're already on their way.” Specklefoot's eyes glowed with surprise, but after a moment, she simply gave the spirit a grateful nod.

     Silentstorm's mew was choked with grief as she murmured, “It's too late for Eeltooth.”

     Dawn fixed the she-cat with a calm stare. “It was his time,” she mewed quietly. “But the rest of your Clanmates and friends still live. And now, they are free from the darkness forever.” Her gaze flicked to Eeltooth's body for a moment. “There will always be dangers that the Clans face,” she continued. “That's the truth of life in the wild; even kittypets are never completely safe. Every living thing must die eventually, and the living world is one of countless threats. But now, the threat of the dead and the dark realms is no longer one of them. All of you, Eeltooth included, will always be remembered as the cats who saved all of life from the darkness. The Dark Battle has finally ended, forever, and the prophecy is at an end.” Her gaze settled back on Silentstorm, her mew warm as she added, “You're free now.”

     Blazeheart lowered his head, pressing his muzzle against Ambertalon's cheek again. A sense of contentment had settled over him, peace in his heart. His world was safe from the Dark Forest forever, and his family would never be threatened by them again. Wrenkit would grow up in a world where the Dark Forest was only an elder's tale meant to frighten kits, his mate would recover from her terrible injury, and his sister would never be called on to make sacrifices for a prophecy again. All he felt now was peace, and an eagerness for the life that waited for him back in ThunderClan.

     Silentstorm sighed. She still had her nose touching Eeltooth's fur, but she could feel her mate pressing his muzzle against her neck. The grief of Eeltooth's death wouldn't fade easily; she would carry it with her the rest of her life, just as she carried her grief for Jayfeather and the rest of the cats she'd known and lost. But Clan life would move forward. Eeltooth was safe in StarClan, and would never have to lose his place in the stars to the darkness. She was free now; she could go home to her family, and she would never have to leave them again. She would raise her daughters in the nursery, and she would live for and serve her Clan until the day she came to join Eeltooth in the stars.

     It was finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DON'T TURN OFF NOTIFICATIONS FOR THIS STORY YET. THERE IS GOING TO BE ONE MORE CHAPTER – AN EPILOGUE. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THIS EPILOGUE.
> 
> Just wanted to get that out of the way, in case anyone thought the story was over now. ^^ Anyway, onto my comments.
> 
> So, other than the epilogue, and some possible future novellas (one of which I will probably start writing soon), the main story for Echoes of the War is finally over. Five years after I started this project, the story of Silentstorm and her prophecy is at an end. I was feeling sad about it leading up to this, but right now I just feel weird, and kind of closed off from it, I think from feeling sad about it for a while. I don't know. It just could be from being in this writing haze of wanting to get through these chapters. I'm weird sometimes.
> 
> And we finally get to meet the cat from the cover! :D Yep, the cat in the center of the cover of Silent Sacrifice is Dawn. I think I did warn you guys that it might be a while until we met that cat. ^^ And we see the meaning of Midnight's prophecy. Rock's sacrifice, made in silence (since he didn't tell anyone ahead of time that he was going to sacrifice his life and power) created a new Dawn to control the light and the darkness. It sort of made sense to have a new spirit be the one in charge of the light and the dark, and not to just give Rock all of the power, and it would make sense that he would recognize his own faults enough to see that it was time to let a new spirit reign. Since this whole book was building up to the ending of the prophecy and the creation of Dawn, I figured it made sense to have Dawn feature on the cover. And it made for a nice mystery. ^^
> 
> Onto the dead cats now.
> 
> Patch and Storm died of their injuries shortly after this chapter, because I said so and because the epilogue isn't gonna touch on that. They went to some sort of Dark Forest for rogues, and no one led them there.
> 
> Ice also died of her injuries shortly after the battle, because I said so. :P She went to the Dark Forest and wasn't led there by anyone.
> 
> Scorch went to the Society of the Shadows (the Society's version of the Dark Forest, where Scourge resides), and was led there by no one.
> 
> Eeltooth was led to StarClan by Stonefur. Mallownose would have worked, considering he was Eeltooth's father, but Stonefur felt like the better choice. He also sacrificed his life for what was right, and he was the deputy and Mistystar's brother, and it felt like a good way to honor Eeltooth's sacrifice.
> 
> So yeah, Eeltooth is dead, but the rest of the Clan cats are alive. Once again, when a group of cats from various Clans comes together, it's the RiverClan cat who dies first. :P And it wasn't planned that way, by the by, just a funny coincidence. Actually, things were originally supposed to turn out very differently, as I'll get into more in the notes for the epilogue (where ALL will be revealed). But after some changes to the plot, this is what we ended up with. Sorry, Eeltooth. You died so young. But he's safe in StarClan now. I feel like I should feel sadder about his death, and I did feel sad about it leading up to this chapter. But I still feel just kind of disconnected from all of this. It's weird. I think it's just from thinking about it too much. Once I take a break, and come back and look at it later, I'll probably feel it more.
> 
> For those worrying about Ambertalon, though, it's good news. She's alive – but at the cost of an eye. It's the same eye her mother lost (because I love parallels, if that wasn't already clear), but she didn't lose nearly as much fur as her mother did around the eye. I'll be uploading a new ref sheet for Ambertalon soon that shows how she looks with the missing eye (yes, part of why I made her a new ref sheet was for this), and I'll upload new ref sheets for the rest of this group to show their new scars.
> 
> I don't want to say too much more right now. The epilogue is going to answer most of the questions you probably have right now. It might take a while to post it, considering I have some planning left to do before I can finish it. It's going to jump forward in time a fair bit, and we're going to learn about the fates of some of the characters down the road. I don't want to give too much more away, so I'll just leave you with these lyrics:
> 
> _WASHINGTON:  
>  Let me tell you what I wish I’d known  
> When I was young and dreamed of glory  
> You have no control:_
> 
> _WASHINGTON AND COMPANY:  
>  Who lives  
> Who dies  
> Who tells your story..._


	30. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many seasons later...

Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War  
Book 6: Silent Sacrifice  
Epilogue

     “...She would raise her daughters in the nursery, and she would live for and serve her Clan until the day she came to join Eeltooth in the stars. It was finally over.”

     Six eager faces stared back at the elder, eyes gleaming with wonder as the elder brought their story to a close. “I love hearing that story,” one fluffy tabby purred, her yellow eyes glowing. “I still can't believe the Silent One saved us from the Dark Forest all on her own!”

     The elder's whiskers twitched. “She wasn't all on her own, Moonpaw,” they reminded the apprentice. “She may have been the one to defeat Shade, but she never could have done it if her friends hadn't been there to fight beside her.” Some distant emotion glowed in the elder's eyes for a moment. “They all had their parts to play in ridding us of the Dark Forest.”

     Moonpaw dipped her head in acknowledgment of the elder's words, giving a respectful mew of agreement. The blue-gray she-cat and the gray tabby sitting beside Moonpaw seemed equally enthralled with the elder's story, as did the cream tabby and the dark ginger tabby on the far end of the line, but a dark brown tabby on Moonpaw's other side didn't look impressed.

     A warm breeze rolled lazily into the elder's den, threading through the elder's coarse pelt, speckled white with age. It was not long before sunset, an early evening in the middle of greenleaf, and the Clan was winding down for the night. The Clan's six apprentices had decided they wanted a story before going to sleep for the night, so they'd come to bother the elders about it. One elder was out getting something to eat, while the other two were napping in their nests, but the fourth had been awake when the apprentices had arrived. At the apprentices' request, they had told the well-known tale of the Silent One and her battle against the darkness. It warmed the elder's heart to see them drinking in the old tale, committing it to memory just as they had done so long ago.

     As the elder began washing their paws, they could hear the apprentices murmuring to each other about the story they'd just heard. After a few moments, the blue-gray she-cat spoke up in a quiet mew. “Did the Silent One get to watch her kits grow up after the battle?” she asked, curiosity tempered with shyness in her mew.

     Before the elder could respond, the dark brown tabby cut them off. “Who cares, Stonepaw? It's not like it really matters,” the tabby mewed, giving the blue-gray cat a condescending look. “It's just a story. Every cat knows the Dark Forest is just a story made up to scare kits.”

     Stonepaw flinched from her denmate's words, hurt glowing in her dark orange eyes. The elder fixed the dark tabby with a stern look for a moment. “It's far more than just a story, Thicketpaw,” they reprimanded the apprentice. “The Silent One was real, and the Silent Battle really happened. All of what I told you is true.”

     Thicketpaw's pelt fluffed out in surprise. All around the elder, Thicketpaw's denmates were reacting with similar surprise – all but the cream tabby, who just gave a small flick of her tail in agreement. “It... really happened?” Thicketpaw repeated, looking uncertain for a moment. Then, the confident gleam returned to her amber eyes. “Nah, it's probably just some elder's tale that got made up seasons ago, but whoever passed it down told everyone it was real.”

     “I can assure you, that's not what happened,” the elder said. Amusement was starting to tinge their mew. “I know for a fact that the Silent One was real.”

     Thicketpaw exchanged a glance with the dark ginger tabby she-cat, who turned back to the elder with a curious expression. “How can you know for sure?” the tabby asked, tipping her head.

     The elder fought back the sudden sadness pricking at their heart. They turned their muzzle away, gazing past the apprentices to the view beyond the den's entrance, trying to catch a glimpse of the setting sun as memories of their long life swirled in their mind.

     In a rasping mew, she told the apprentices, “Because she was my mother.”

     Five pairs of eyes flew open wide as moons at her revelation. “The Silent One was your _mother_?” the gray tabby repeated, looking stunned. Thicketpaw seemed stunned too, but Moonpaw's eyes gleaming with awe, and a purr had escaped Stonepaw, her tail fluffed out in pleased surprise. “Is that true, Jaycloud?”

     Jaycloud dipped her head. “Yes, it's true, Swallowpaw,” she rasped. “Silentstorm was my mother, and Lightfoot was my father. I was only a kit when my mother defeated, Shade, but I remember her coming back from the battle after being missing for over half a moon. She was badly wounded, and exhausted from everything she'd gone through, and from losing her friend. But she was so happy to be home again.” Sadness and fondness battled in her mind at the memory of her mother's return to WindClan's camp. “I don't think she left my sister's or my side the whole day after we got back.”

     “So she got to see her family again after the battle after all?” Stonepaw asked, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.”

     “Yes, she did,” Jaycloud mewed, warmth entering her mew. “After she and the others told the Clan that the Dark Forest was gone forever, we were able to travel back to ThunderClan's territory. She settled back into the ThunderClan nursery, and she stayed there with us until Bramblestar made us apprentices.” She gave Stonepaw a encouraging glance, mewing, “She lived for seasons after the Silent Battle as a warrior, and was never called on to fight the darkness again. She had a good life, Stonepaw, and a happy one.”

     Relief and joy glowed together in Stonepaw's eyes. Before she could speak again, a flame-colored tom padded into the den, blinking as his sight adjusted to the low lighting. His amber gaze fixed on apprentices. “Ah, so you're in here,” he mewed, approaching the young cats. “I'd wondered where all of you had run off to.”

     The dark ginger tabby approached the tom, tail held high and eyes gleaming with excitement. “We wanted to hear the story of the Silent Battle,” she told the tom. “Did you know that the Silent One was Jaycloud's mother?”

     The tom purred, touching noses with the ginger tabby. “Yes, I did know that,” he told her. He glanced up at Jaycloud, mewing, “I hope my daughters and their denmates haven't been bothering you too much.”

     “Not at all, Emberpelt,” Jaycloud mewed with a small dip of her head. “I'm always happy to tell our young cats my mother's story.”

     Emberpelt gave a small purr. “Glad to hear it.” He glanced at the apprentices, his mew turning more brisk. “Come on, all of you. You should get something to eat and get to sleep – you all have training in the morning. Thicketpaw, we'll be working on bird-hunting tomorrow, so be ready to go by the time the sun's up.” Thicketpaw groaned, but didn't protest further, simply dipping her head at her mentor's command. “And Firepaw, I heard Bluecloud saying he was going to take you battle training tomorrow. You'll need your rest for that.”

     The dark ginger tabby's eyes lit up. “That sounds great!” Firepaw rose to her paw, trotting to her father's side as her denmates started to rise as well. One by one, the apprentices began to follow Emberpelt out of the den, mewing a quick thanks to Jaycloud for the story as they passed her.

     Jaycloud watched them pass, a feeling of contentment coming over her as she glanced over them all. Firepaw's pelt didn't have the same brilliant hue as her father, or the legendary leader after which she had been named, but she could see the eagerness and energy of fire in the young apprentice. Stonepaw was much quieter than her denmates, but she was advancing well in her training, and was becoming a promising fighter. Moonpaw's frame was growing more lithe and elegant under her thick pelt, the build of a hunter, while Swallowpaw was developing the powerful build of a fighter. Thicketpaw was the image of Bramblestar, with the same dark tabby coat and amber eyes as her ancestors, and the same strong frame. All of them showed promise, and were apprentices the Clan could be proud of. But there was one in particular who had always filled Jaycloud with both fondness and sadness at the sight of her.

     The blind, gray eyes of Silentpaw stayed in Jaycloud's memory even as the apprentice followed after her denmates, leaving the elder's den behind entirely. Silentpaw was Emberpelt's daughter, the littermate of Firepaw. When it had become clear the young she-cat was blind, her parents had named her after her ancestor, Silentstorm, the first blind warrior and the cat who had saved them all from the darkness. Though Silentpaw's eyes were a lighter gray than Silentstorm's had been, and Silentpaw was quieter than her namesake, Jaycloud always felt a pang of sadness and warmth together at the sight of her eyes. It was almost like seeing her mother staring back out at her again.

     Jaycloud remained lying in her nest for a long while after the apprentices had gone. Mapleleaf and Tanya were snoring lightly from their nests, and Featherbreeze's nest was still empty. The solitude in the den was peaceful, and for a few moments, Jaycloud allowed herself to enjoy it. But eventually, restlessness tugged at her paws. She rose to standing, her aged joints creaking in protest, and began padding to the den's entrance. She wanted to see her Clan and her camp again before letting herself sleep for the night.

     The stone hollow was cast in an amber light as the sun set over the trees. Jaycloud stepped out into the hollow, feel the warmth of the greenleaf sun on her pelt. All around the hollow, cats were stretched out on the grass, having their evening meals and sharing tongues with their Clanmates. Blackwing and Bluecloud were sharing a pheasant with their daughter, Stonepaw, while Frostflower and Yellowleaf chatted over a sparrow nearby. The deputy, Stormstrike, was sharing a squirrel with his younger sister Fawnfur near the base of the High Ledge. Brookberry was sitting near the nursery, chatting with Petalsnow as the small medicine cat checked over Petalsnow's rounded belly.

     Jaycloud's gaze drifted up to the High Ledge, which was cast in the brilliant amber glow of the setting sun. She had seen so many leaders stand on that ledge in her long life. Bramblestar, Squirrelstar, Ivystar, and Shadowstar had all stood there in their turn, watching over the Clan that their ancestors had entrusted to them. Now, in the cave behind the High Ledge, lay the den of the current leader. Jaycloud let her gaze drift across the camp until it finally fell upon her leader.

     Willowstar was starting to look as bony and white-speckled as Jaycloud in her old age, though she hadn't seen nearly as many greenleafs as Jaycloud had. Her pale brown pelt didn't have the dark, rich hue that her father's had. But Shadowstar's daughter had inherited his strong frame and his courage and nobility. From her mother Littledaisy, she had gained her long, sleek pelt, and green eyes. Willowstar had led the Clan for many greenleafs now, and was starting to slow. But she ruled with all of the nobility of her father before her, and had kept ThunderClan safe through moons of peace. Jaycloud knew that she would continue to serve her Clan with everything she had, no matter how old she got, until StarClan came to claim her.

     Jaycloud watched the leader a few moments longer, then began walking stiffly towards the fresh-kill pile, her joints aching with every step. As she plucked a squirrel off the pile and carried it to the side of the beech tree to eat, her mind was teeming with memories of long ago.

     What she had told Stonepaw was true. Silentstorm had lived a good life after the Silent Battle, as a loyal warrior of her Clan, never again called to fulfill a prophecy or walk a separate path. Jaycloud and Screechwing had trained hard, and become loyal warriors of ThunderClan, following in the example set by their parents. Screechwing had been as confident a warrior as their mother, and while not as strong of a fighter, she had always served her Clan with everything she had. Her humor and nosiness had always made Jaycloud's whiskers twitch – that was perhaps what Jaycloud had missed the most since her sister's passing.

     It wasn't just Screechwing who was gone – they were all gone, all of the cats who had walked by her side as a young cat. Silentstorm had never made it to the elder's den – she had died five greenleafs after the Silent Battle, fighting on her paws to defend her Clan. Darkbreeze had died less than half a moon after, quickly joining her best friend in Silverpelt.

     The rest of the cats from the Silent Battle had fared better. Nightfern and Specklefoot both got to spend several peaceful seasons in the elder's den before being called away to StarClan. Finstrike had risen to the top of her Clan, serving as their leader, Finstar, for many moons. Though always wary of the other Clans, she had been a noble leader, swift to defend her Clan but wise and merciful in her dealings with all cats, even in the other Clans. She was the last of all of the cats from the Silent Battle to die.

     Ambertalon died two greenleafs after Silentstorm, but she retired into the elder's den alongside her mate first, Lightfoot joining them not long after. Lightfoot had gone after that, and then Blazeheart had been the last left in ThunderClan. Then he too was gone, and all of the cats who had risked so much for the Clans were dead.

     Jaycloud hadn't been alone after that. Though she'd missed her parents fiercely, she'd always had family to walk beside her. Some seasons after she and Screechwing were grown, Silentstorm had given birth to a second litter. Mistydawn, Thorntooth, and Hollybreeze had grown into fine warriors, and Jaycloud had always tried to be there for them, especially after their parents passed. But one by one, they too were called away by StarClan, as were Screechwing, Wrenfoot, and all of Ambertalon and Blazeheart's kits from their later litters. Now, Jaycloud was the only one left.

     Jaycloud sighed, glancing up at the sky. Eighteen long greenleafs had passed since the Silent Battle. Jaycloud was the oldest cat in all four Clans, and the only cat left who had met Silentstorm while she was alive. Memories of Blazeheart's kind mew, Ambertalon's boasts about how she'd lost her eyes in the Silent Battle, the love in her father's soft mew, swirled together in her mind and made her heart ache with loss. She could still see her mother's blind eyes, blazing with love for her and her siblings, even seasons after Silentstorm had died. Jaycloud had seen so much in the many seasons she had lived, and she had lost so much too. Sometimes, the thought of all the cats she'd lost made her chest hurt so much it was hard to breathe.

     But she was no longer the shy, uncertain kit she had once been, and she did not let her loss control her. Jaycloud had always been surrounded by the love of her Clanmates, and it had made her strong. She had sometimes wondered as a kit whether a quiet, awkward kit like her would ever find her place in the Clan. Now she knew that she always had a place here, because ThunderClan was her family, and had always accepted her. Silentstorm had taught her to be confident in who she was, and now, she tried to pass on the same lessons to the young cats of the Clan.

     Screechwing had taken Oatfall as her mate, and Thorntooth had taken a mate as well, seasons later. Both couples had raised kits, and their descendants, like Silentpaw, still ran with the Clan now. But Jaycloud had never wanted a mate. It was enough for her to have family and friends who loved her, and to help raise the kits of her siblings. Those kits were all gone too now, but Jaycloud could see the ripples of her siblings' kits in the Clanmates who ate and shared tongues around her now. Jaycloud still watched over her kin, and all of her Clanmates, always remembering how much love her family had shown her.

     She knew she didn't have much time left. No Clan cat had ever lived as long as her before, at least as far as Jaycloud knew. Every day, her body felt weaker, and when she dreamed she could hear StarClan whispering to her, calling her closer. Jaycloud no longer feared death. She had seen so much, and had felt so much love, but now she was tired. She would go whenever StarClan called her, ready to finally rest among the stars, after serving her Clan for so long.

     The only thing she had left to keep her here was making sure that her mother was remembered. Ever since her mother had died, she had worked to keep her memory alive in the Clan. The story of the Silent Battle, and the brave Silent One, had been passed down through the generations. Jaycloud continued to tell her story as the seasons passed, determined to make sure that Silentstorm was forever remembered for everything she had done for the Clans. Because of Silentstorm, and all of the cats in the Silent Battle, the Clans would never have to fear the Dark Forest again.

     There had always been enemies to threaten the Clans in the long seasons of Jaycloud's life. Foxes, badgers, sickness, even the other Clans. But the darkness had never stirred again in all of Jaycloud's life. They would never threaten the Clans again, and Jaycloud was determined to make sure the Clans remembered why. Now, with the story of the Silent Battle rippling through all four Clans, Jaycloud felt sure that her mother's legacy was secured. She felt more content and at peace than ever before.

     Jaycloud gave a soft sigh. Setting the squirrel aside for a moment, she stretched out on the sun-warmed grass, letting her chin rest on her paws. Up there, in Silverpelt, her family was waiting for her. All of the cats he had ever known and loved would be there to greet her when her time was up. Silentstorm and her friends would be remembered, and Jaycloud could rest, knowing she had served her Clan and her mother's memory well. She knew that sometime soon, she would see her mother's gray eyes glowing with love for her once again, as she came to lead her daughter to Silverpelt.

     A quiet purr escaped Jaycloud as she let her eyes close. Her Clan was safe, and soon, she would watch over them from the stars beside her mother. She was at peace.

END OF BOOK SIX

-~-~-

_SILENTSTORM:_

_Let me tell you what I wish I'd known_  
When I was young and dreamed of glory  
You have no control 

_Who lives_  
Who dies  
Who tells your story... 

_DARKBREEZE:_

_Every other founding father's story gets told  
Every other founding father gets to grow old_

_EELTOOTH:_

_And when you're gone, who remembers your name?_

_LIGHTFOOT:_

_Who keeps your flame?  
Who tells your story?_

_ALL:_

_Who tells your story?_  
Who tells your story?  
Who tells your story? 

_Eliza_

_JAYCLOUD:_

_I put myself back in the narrative_

_ALL:_

_Eliza_

_JAYCLOUD:_

_I stop wasting time on tears_  
I live another fifty years  
It's not enough... 

_...You could have done so much more if you only had_

_ALL:_

_Time_

_JAYCLOUD:_

_And when my time is up, have I done enough?_  
Will they tell our story?  
...Oh, I can wait to see you again  
It's only a matter of 

_ALL:_

_Time_

Sorry for the lengthy lyrics at the start of these notes, but honestly, this song is so fitting for this chapter. And that wasn't intentional, by the by. I had this chapter set in stone in my head for years, long before I ever heard of Hamilton, long before I had even decisively decided how the main conflict with Shade would end, in fact. I always knew that I wanted Silentstorm's story to end with her daughter making sure her tale was passed on through the Clan.

So here we are. The final part of the story. The epilogue of the final (main) book of the Echoes of the Wars series. Almost five years after I began writing Faded Boundaries, and now the story is finished. It's so weird to think that it's finally over. I'll still be writing some novellas, but the main story, Silentstorm's story, is done.

Alright, I'm going to be covering a /ton/ in these author's notes, so sorry if this gets a bit long. But I've been doing a lot of work to prepare for this epilogue, hence why it took two weeks to post it. Actually, I only started writing the actual epilogue today – I wrote it all in a few hours. I had already imagined this scene so many times in my head that I already pretty much knew how it was going to go. But there was a lot of work I wanted to do for things that would be revealed after the story.

First of all, let's cover some of the stuff Jaycloud was talking about. It's been eighteen years and a few months since the Silent Battle (named so because of Silentstorm's involvement, the title of the Silent One, and because the prophecy and the battle were done “silently,” kept secret from the Clans until they were over). Every single cat who was alive during the events of EOTW is now dead. Right now, I'm going to say that all of the Clan cats went to StarClan – but I reserve the right to change this later if it suits the purposes of a novella. I'm not going to list who led every single cat to StarClan, because that would take /way/ too freaking long, but I'll cover some of the main cats. If you're curious about some of the other cats and who led them to StarClan, feel free to ask, and I'll try to come up with someone.

Silentstorm was led to StarClan by Jayfeather.  
Ambertalon was led to StarClan by Dewpaw.  
Lightfoot was led to StarClan by Silentstorm.  
Blazeheart was led to StarClan by Ambertalon.

Specklefoot was led to StarClan by Dewfrost.

Darkbreeze was led to StarClan by Crowfeather.  
Nightfern was led to StarClan by Darkbreeze.

Finstar was led to StarClan by Eeltooth.

Now for some of the other things Jaycloud mentioned. Finstrike, as she said, became the leader of RiverClan while she was alive. She served as Reedstar's deputy after Mistystar died, and then rose to the leadership of the Clan. She was the only cat from the Silent Battle to ever become a deputy or leader.

As many of you guessed from my little hint on my Ambertalon/Blazeheart Valentine's day drawing, Ambertalon and Blazeheart did indeed have more kits. I didn't have a chance to mention their names during the chapter, but I can do so here, and their descriptions.

Second litter:

Lichenfall – sleek golden tabby she-cat with a thick coat and amber eyes (named after Lichenkit and Snowfall)  
Swiftbrook – tiny very pale ginger-and-white tabby she-cat with soft blue eyes (named after Swiftpaw and WindClan, who sheltered Blazeheart and his family and are his kin)  
Spottedcloud – lithe gray spotted tabby tom with green eyes (named after his spotted pelt and Cloudtail)

Third litter:

Whitewillow – white tom with green eyes (named after Whitewing and his calm, patient personality)  
Flametuft – flame-colored she-cat with pale green eyes, a white dash on her chest, and thick fur (named after Firestar, who she very much resembles, and after her thick, tufted fur and tufted ears)

Silentstorm also had a second litter, and their names were mentioned in the text. I'll list their descriptions here:

Hollybreeze – small, lithe brown tabby she-cat with green eyes (named after Hollyleaf and Darkbreeze)  
Thorntooth – large dark gray tom with a white chest, chin, stripe from nose to forehead, and paws, and light blue eyes (named after Hawthorn and Eeltooth)  
Mistydawn – golden tabby she-cat with a white tail-tip, chest, throat, chin, and nose and forehead snip, and gray eyes (named after Dawn and Mistystar)

One thing I didn't get to mention in the chapter is that Nightfern and Wetwhisker had a second litter. I'll list them here:

Crowshine – skinny pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes (named after Crowfeather)  
Grayheart – large dark gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes (named after Gray)  
Darkpetal – dark gray-brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes (named after Darkbreeze, as she was born after Darkbreeze died)

That's all of the kits of the cats from the Silent Battle. I've uploaded reference sheets for all of them, minus Nightfern's kits, and the links to them are on their names. Yes, I already have all of their ref sheets drawn, and ref sheets for all of the Silent Battle's cat's other kits grown up. That's why it took so long to get to this epilogue. :P

Jaycloud also mentioned the names of all of the leaders of ThunderClan since Bramblestar. I'm just gonna confirm them, in case there were any doubts. Bramblestar led until he grew old, and was succeeded briefly by an also-old Squirrelflight, who became Squirrelstar. She chose Ivypool as her deputy, and after she died, Ivypool became Ivystar and was leader. Ivystar chose Shadowstripe as her deputy, and he became Shadowstar after Ivystar died. He chose Redleaf as his first deputy, but after Redleaf died, he chose his daughter Willowheart to be his new deputy. After Shadowstar died, Willowstar rose as the leader of ThunderClan.

I won't confirm every single cat (yet) who was a leader or deputy in the other Clans, but I'll tell you some of the ones I think you'll actually care about. Tigerstar died young-ish, and Olivestar rose as leader after him. She chose Buffy as her deputy, and after she died, Buffy became leader. But she kept her kittypet name, becoming the first nine-lived leader to never take on -star after their name. Larksong became Larkstar after Heatherstar died, and she chose Darkbreeze's daughter Stormbreeze as her deputy. Stormbreeze then became Stormstar, leader of WindClan.

But wait! That's not all! I have been spending the last few months mapping out the full family trees of each of the Clans, starting from the end of Silent Sacrifice to the epilogue, stretching those eighteen years. There's a /lot/ of names on that list of characters that never made an appearance, so I don't know if this is going to be interesting to many people. But I wanted to make sure I knew who everyone was related to and descended from in the epilogue, so I did it anyway.

I put all of those notes together (as well as some notes on all leaders, deputies, and medicine cats in that time, and changes to the warrior code, in a Google Docs folder. I'm putting the link for that here for anyone who wants to see it. Sorry for any mistakes – there's a lot of those notes, and I might've missed something.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3wtYU1BiCPiTi04b29xMHVWWXc?usp=sharing

Let's see, any other things I want to confirm... hmm, Cosmo finished his training under Icefur, stayed with WindClan and his family until his kits were grown, then returned to the city to be a medicine cat for the rogues and loners there. He and Darkbreeze visited each other as much as their commitments allowed, as did their kits. I think other than that, I've pretty much covered everything, other than warrior names for everyone (which I'm about to get to). If I've forgotten something, or you're curious about something I didn't touch on, though, let me know.

Now, onto warrior names. I'm going to reveal here the warrior names of every cat who didn't get their revealed during EOTW. We know some of the names already from the chapter, but here is the name of every non-warrior who survived to warriorhood after EOTW:

THUNDERCLAN:

Foxpaw became Foxcloud (for her gentle, shy personality)  
Russetpaw became Russetbird (for her cheerful personality)  
Antpaw became Antwhisker  
Beetlepaw became Beetlewing (for her free and rebellious attitude)  
Yewpaw became Yewleaf (after Hollyleaf – later ended up leaving ThunderClan to be mates with Tawnytail of ShadowClan, though she'd already given birth to a litter that chose to stay in ThunderClan)  
Mousekit became Mousepoppy (because it sounded cool)  
Oatkit became Oatfall  
Jaykit became Jaycloud (because of her gentle personality, and her cloudy-gray eyes)  
Screechkit became Screechwing (because of her energetic, friendly personality)  
Wrenkit because Wrenfoot (because of her skill at hunting, and her snow-white legs)  
Shrewkit became Shrewbriar  
Flowerkit became Flowertail (after his fluffy, white-tipped tail)  
Robinkit became Robinheart (after his gentle personality)

SHADOWCLAN:

Cinderpaw became Cindercloud  
Creampaw became Creamfur (pretty self-explanatory)  
Tanypaw became Tawnytail  
Gingerpaw became Gingerfern  
Saffronpaw became Saffrontuft (after her tufted ears), and later Saffronstar (after Buffy)  
Snowpaw became Snowcloud  
Applekit became Appleleaf  
Pinekit became Pinefur  
Spiderkit became Spiderstep  
Brightkit became Brightmarsh  
Sprucekit became Sprucefur  
Duskkit became Dusktail  
Lizardkit became Lizardtooth (after his exposed fangs), medicince cat of ShadowClan (after Twigclaw)  
Petalkit became Petalshine  
Rainkit became Rainfrost (after his ice-blue eyes and white markigns, and his mother)

WINDCLAN:

Shardpaw became Shardfang  
Flintpaw became Flintstorm  
Cricketkit became Cricketleap  
Harekit became Hareclaw (named after one of my oldest OCs)  
Mothkit became Mothlight (named after another old OC)  
Tawnykit became Tawnyrose  
Eaglekit became Eagletail (after her white-tipped tail)  
Firekit became Firebreeze (after her loyalty to WindClan and her swiftness)  
Ashkit became Ashcloud (after his large size and pale pelt)  
Cottonkit became Cottonlight (after the lights in the city that Cosmo loves, so now she's named after aspects of both of her parents' homes)  
Heatherkit became Heathercloud (after Nightcloud)  
Stormkit became Stormbreeze (after Darkbreeze), and later Stormstar

RIVERCLAN:

Mossypaw became Mossystone (after Stonefur)  
Pebblepaw became Pebbleskip  
Poppypaw became Poppypelt (for her black pelt, like poppy seeds)  
Rosepaw became Rosecloud  
Graypaw became Graystream  
Pikepaw became Pikeleap  
Brookkit became Brookflower  
Cragkit became Cragclaw, and later Cragstar (after Finstar)  
Foggykit became Foggyfoot  
Spottedkit became Spottedtrout  
Stonekit became Stoneshine

I think that's everything that I wanted to cover. Wow, I can't believe this story is over, after so many years.

I just want to say before finishing this up – thank you. Thank you to everyone who read and liked and commented on this story. Thank you to those who were with this story from the very beginning, and thank you to everyone who started readind somewhere along the way. Having people read this story and comment on it means so much, after putting work into it for almost five years. I'm so grateful to everyone who commented and made me feel good about what I'd written.

Your support helped me keep going with this project for so long, even after Bramblestar's Storm and later books contradicted it with new canon information. I'm so glad that I didn't give up on this after Bramblestar's Storm was announced. Even though canon has taken a different path from this story now, I'm happy just having this as it's own little AU, and I'm happy that I finished it and that people liked it. Just, thank you. :D

Well, that's it for now, I think, though I might edit this description later if it turns out I forgot to mention something important. As I've mentioned a few times, I will be writing more novellas for this series. The first one is likely going to involve the Society again (Scorch's Ambition felt like too grim a way to end their story), but I don't quite have all of the story elements plotted out yet, so it might take a bit for me to start writing and posting that. Plus, there's another project (not a story, but something you guys will hopefully get to see) that I want to work on first, and I do have to focus on my senior paper as well, so we'll see how fast I am with updating and so on in the next few months. But thank you all again, and I hope you stick around for the novellas. :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put the actual endnotes in the chapter itself because they were too long to actually put in the endnotes section. :P


	31. Epilogue Allegiances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allegiances for the epilogue

SILENT SACRIFICE EPILOGUE ALLEGIANCES

 

**THUNDERCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

WILLOWSTAR – long-haired pale brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and green eyes

**DEPUTY**

STORMSTRIKE – dark gray tabby tom with pale yellow eyes  
    APPRENTICE, STONEPAW

**MEDICINE CAT**

BROOKBERRY – small black-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

**WARRIORS**

SOOTBIRD – fluffy dark gray she-cat with a white tail-tip and amber eyes  
YELLOWLEAF – fluffy golden tabby she-cat with yellow eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SWALLOWPAW  
FROSTFLOWER – pale gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
BLUECLOUD – dark blue-gray tom with ice blue eyes,  
    APPRENTICE, FIREPAW  
FAWNFUR – cream colored she-cat with yellow eyes,  
BRIARTAIL – light brown tabby she-cat with a white and with orange eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SILENTPAW  
BRIGHTFEATHER – very pale cream tabby she-cat with white and with gray eyes  
WHITEMIST – white she-cat with blue eyes  
BLACKWING – black she-cat with green eyes  
CROWSPLASH – black-and-white tom with amber eyes  
OAKWHISKER – brown tabby tom with yellow eyes  
    APPRENTICE, MOONPAW  
DAPPLEWING – tortoiseshell she-cat with black dapples  
EMBERPELT – flame-colored tom with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, THICKETPAW  
CLOUDSHINE – very pale thick-furred gray tabby she-cat with yellow eyes  
BIRDSPECKLE – speckled cream tom with amber eyes

**APPRENTICES**

FIREPAW – dark ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes  
SILENTPAW – cream tabby she-cat with white paws and blind gray eyes  
MOONPAW – fluffy silver tabby she-cat with yellow eyes  
STONEPAW – blue-gray she-cat with dark orange eyes  
SWALLOWPAW – gray tabby tom with green eyes  
THICKETPAW – dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**QUEENS**

PETALSNOW – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

**ELDERS**

[JAYCLOUD](http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Jaycloud-of-ThunderClan-Epilogue-665543630) – light brown tabby she-cat with white and with gray eyes, oldest cat in any Clan  
FEATHERBREEZE – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes, former kittypet  
TANYA – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes, former kittypet  
MAPLELEAF – cream tabby she-cat with white paws and dark amber eyes

 

**SHADOWCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

LILYSTAR – black she-cat with pale yellow eyes

**DEPUTY**

TAWNYWILLOW – tawny tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

NETTLERAIN – mottled gray she-cat with spiky fur and green eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SWEET PINESCENT CARRIED ON BREEZE (SWEET) (cream tabby she-cat with a white chest and pale green eyes)

 

**WARRIORS**

BRACKENBLAZE – fluffy light brown tabby tom with fiery amber eyes, formerly of ThunderClan  
SHREWGORSE – pale brown tabby tom with green eyes  
BIRDSHADE – ginger-and-white she-cat with pale blue eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SOAKPAW  
TABITHA – long-haired pale brown tabby she-cat with golden eyes, former kittypet  
BLUEFROST – gray-blue-and-white she-cat with ice-blue eyes  
FERNDAPPLE – tortoiseshell she-cat with dappled pelt and an underbite  
    APPRENTICE, SNAKEPAW  
SORRELTUFT – dark ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes  
WILTED PETAL OF MOUNTAIN FLOWER (WILT) – gray tabby tom with a white chest and blue eyes, formerly of the Tribe of Rushing Water  
DUSTBELLY – gray tabby-and-white she-cat with blue eyes and very short legs  
BOGSTORM – pale gray tabby tom with pale amber eyes  
POUNCESHADE – ginger spotted tom with green eyes  
SUNHAWK – yellow tabby tom with amber eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SKITTERPAW  
DRIP OF MELTING ICE (DRIP) – pale ginger tabby tom with a white chest and ice-blue eyes  
DARKFOOT – cream she-cat with brown points and blue eyes  
    APPRENTICE, LEAPPAW  
JAGGEDLEAF – white she-cat with spiky fur and green eyes  
BUZZARDBLAZE – long-haired brown tom with amber eyes  
BRISTLEBEE – black-and-white tom with spiky fur, former rogue

**QUEENS**

DAPPLEPOND – dappled light brown she-cat with golden eyes  
FRECKLEPETAL – pale gray spotted tabby-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes  
DEWYBRACKEN – golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**ELDERS**

WASPSKY – black tom with dark amber eyes  
RAINCLOUD – dark gray tom with a white chest and blue eyes

 

**WINDCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

HARESTAR – small, very pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes and a stumpy tail

**DEPUTY**

CINDERBREEZE – gray she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

HEAVYWHISKERS – cream tabby tom with yellow eyes

**WARRIORS**

DUSTBRANCH – brown tabby-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
SMALLTHORN – tiny brown tabby tom with golden eyes and a stumpy tail  
    APPRENTICE, DUSTYPAW  
OLIVECLOUD – light brown tabby she-cat with white and with olive-green eyes  
TIGERSTRIPE – ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes  
BADGERSTORM – heavy-set dark gray tom with bright green eyes  
LOUDHAWK – big black tom with pale golden eyes  
LITTLESPARK – flame-colored she-cat with a white chest, light amber eyes, and a short tail  
FENNELSTEP – pale ginger tabby she-cat with dark green eyes  
EAGLEFLIGHT – black-and-white tom with golden eyes  
    APPRENTICE, TUMBLEPAW  
VOLESTRIKE – lithe brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
SANDSKY – sand-colored tabby she-cat with dark amber eyes, former rogue  
    APPRENTICE, BLAZEPAW  
NIGHTSTEP – skinny black tom with green eyes  
PINEBIRD – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes  
SHEEPFOOT – big fluffy dark gray tom with blue eyes

**QUEENS**

SOOTSPOTS – gray she-cat with dark mottles and pale blue eyes  
STORMBERRY – black-and-white she-cat with olive-green eyes  
FAWNRUNNER – cream she-cat with yellow eyes

**ELDERS**

CROWSHINE – skinny pale gray she-cat with yellow eyes  
DARCY – dark brown tabby tom with green eyes, former kittypet  
BREEZEHEART – dark gray tabby she-cat with a spiky pelt and golden eyes  
WILDFAWN – big, spiky-furred light brown spotted tom with green eyes  
BARKSPRING – dark brown tabby tom

**RIVERCLAN**

 

**LEADER**

STREAMSTAR – dark gray she-cat with amber eyes

**DEPUTY**

LARCHPOOL – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**MEDICINE CAT**

DRIZZLEDUSK – small flecked cream tom with pale green eyes

**WARRIORS**

LITTLESTREAM – small white tom with blue eyes  
RUNNINGCREEK – big silver tabby tom with blue eyes  
    APPRENTICE, SCALEPAW  
CINDERSTREAM – pale spiky-furred flecked gray cat with soft blue eyes  
SOOTBREEZE – dark gray she-cat with pale green eyes  
SHELLTAIL – blue-gray tom with stumpy tail, former rogue  
PEBBLECREEK – dappled gray she-cat with yellow eyes  
OTTERSKIP – lithe brown tom  
    APPRENTICE, WATERPAW  
OWLCLOUD – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with pale blue eyes  
MISTLECLOUD – fluffy white-and-gray she-cat with blue eyes  
SPLASHBELLY – black-and-white she-cat with splotched markings and pale green eyes  
BLACKSTREAM – black she-cat with white tail-tip and golden eyes  
REEDSTEP – light brown tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes  
BERRYSHINE – dappled golden tabby tom  
HOLLYPELT – large pale gray she-cat with spiky pelt and pale blue eyes  
TURTLEHEART – tortoiseshell she-cat with pale green eyes

**QUEENS**

MAPLESPOT – big red-brown tabby she-cat with golden eyes  
DAWNPOPPY – rosy ginger tabby queen with fluffy tail  
SEEDFALL – spotted pale ginger she-cat with dark green eyes

**ELDERS**

TROUTFIN – dark gray tom with pale flecks  
DOVEWHISKER – white she-cat with soft fur and golden eyes  
WHITEASH – gray-and-white tom  
MOSSLIGHT – dappled tortoiseshell she-cat

 

**CATS OUTSIDE THE CLAN**

MAYBELLE – long-haired black she-cat with yellow eyes, lives in Smoky's barn  
RITA – dark brown tabby she-cat with ice-blue eyes, adopted daughter to Maybelle  
LITTLE FROG – gray-and-white tom with missing eye and ear, adopted son to Maybelle  
DANDELION – yellow tabby tom with green eyes, adopted son to Maybelle  
REGINA – black she-cat, kittypet, descendant of Rizzo who still runs the city

~-~-~

EDIT:

Yeah, so I totally forgot some of the stuff I meant to reveal in the notes for the epilogue. But since those notes are already crazy long, I think I'll just put it here instead.

I revealed pretty much everything I meant to, except for one important thing – how the Silent Battle was originally supposed to end. There were actually various endings that I considered for the series, so I'm gonna talk about them here for a bit.

In almost all of the versions of how this series ended, except for the most recent ones, I planned on Silentstorm dying. I think maybe one of the earliest ones (way back in 2012, probably) involved her eating deathberries in order to be bait for a bear that had been terrorizing the Clans, thereby poisoning it and killing it. But that was pretty stupid, and I think I dropped that idea pretty quickly (at least, I hope I did. I only have a vauge memory of that particular idea for an ending).

Once I got around to the idea of Shade, I came up with a different ending. Part of why I started this series to being with (other than wanting to write a blind cat becoming a warrior) was because the Dark Battle didn't really seem to have enough closure, at least in my opinion, with regards to the Dark Forest. They just kinda get chased off, with no indication that there's anything stopping them from coming back and attacking them again. I wanted to write something that would definitively stop the Dark Forest from ever coming back. I also wanted to explore Rock's backstory and who/what he was. I came up with Shade after I started thinking about Rock, and the concept of them being the spirits of light and darkness.

I knew I wanted Silentstorm to beat Shade in battle, but I wasn't always sure how. At first, I thought maybe Silentstorm would need to become a mist-like creature like Shade in order to beat her. The best way I thought that she could do this was to die, becoming a spirit, and then becoming pure mist by forgetting all of her memories of her life and becoming I guess the purest form of spirit, if that makes any sense. That particualar thread would have involved Silentstorm traveling deep into the heart of StarClan's territory in her dreams in order to learn from the oldest StarClan spirits how to become misty. One of those spirits was going to be a warrior named Brackenflame, a reference to my very first RP character (I'm pretty sure this was before Dawn of the Clans came out, otherwise I probably would have named a spirit that old something more like Bracken Flame).

At first, I was going to have Silentstorm somehow kill herself in order to become the spirit that she needed to be to beat Shade. But I dropped that eventually because it seemed a pretty insensitive way to handle suicide as a topic, and too grim even for Warriors, as well as not really fitting the way I wanted to take Silentstorm's character.

After that, probably the idea I held onto the longest was that Silentstorm was going to learn that she needed to die and become mist in order to beat Shade, but she's so freaked out by this that she refuses, choosing to serve her Clan in life instead and try to find some other way to beat Shade, or hope some other cat did it for her. I had planned out Breeze's story by this point (though I hadn't yet thought of sending the Clans to the city to hide from him), so she, Darkbreeze, and Nightfern were still going to kill Breeze at the end.

Code of the Forest was originally supposed to end with Silentstorm taking some kits (I think it was meant to be Ivypool's litter) out of camp for a short walk, then getting attacked by a badger. Silentstorm manages to save the kits, but is killed by the badger. Jayfeather comes to take her to StarClan, but she refuses, going instead to walk in the Dark Forest in order to figure out how to reach her enemy when its time for the battle. She goes to all of her friends (the same line-up for the Silent Battle as what actually happened) in their dreams, asking for their help, because in order to reach Shade for the final battle they would have to get to the very heart of the Dark Forest's territory, and all of the dark spirits that lived there would do everything in their power to stop Silentstorm from reaching Shade. So the Silent Battle was originally supposed to be fought trying to claw their way through the Dark Forest, not against rogues. Eeltooth was slated to die early in the fight, then Darkbreeze after him, and then the chapter (in Blazeheart's POV) would end with them reaching the heart of the Dark Forest, only for some spirit to kill Blazeheart just as they reach their destination.

The next chapter was going to be Silentstorm's battle against Shade. But before she could have the speed and strength needed to fight Shade, she had to let got of all of her memories of who she was, where she came from, and all of the cats she loved. She let go of every single memory, then became a blank slate of a spirit, with no memories in her head at all, except for one – defeat Shade, then absorb her power and use it to block off the Dark Forest from the living forever. She did just that, killed Shade and absorbed her power, then sent the surviving cats back to their Clans to wake up, then used her new powers to close off the Dark Forest forever. She remained in the Dark Forest, using her powers to keep the dark spirits from escaping or ever harming the living, still with no memories of who she had been. The epilogue was going to be much grimmer, still with Jaycloud telling Silentstorm's story, but now with her mourning the loss of her mother's spirit, and wondering if she would ever be free from the Dark Forest or remember who she used to be.

I liked the sort of grimness of that ending (although I always liked to imagine that, some hundred or thousand years later or something, some Dark Forest spirit wanting to atone for their sins approaches Silentstorm and offers to take her place, giving up their memories and taking Silentstorm's place as the guardian of the border, allowing Silentstorm to finally regain her memories and join the rest of her family and friends in StarClan, though I didn't plan on revealing that in the story at all). But eventually, I lost confidence in this idea of Silentstorm forgetting her memories somehow making her into a powerful mist-spirit that could fight Shade. I just didn't like the idea anymore, it didn't seem to make much sense. My doubt in this idea started around when I was writing Trail of Ashes, I think. I decided to come up with a different idea for how things would end.

I already had planned for Rock to be a part of this, but mostly just giving Silentstorm advice like he did for Jayfeather, and Silentstorm resenting him for not confronting Shade himself or something like that. But I eventually came around to the idea of Silentstorm having to let Rock possess her in order to fight Shade. That seemed to make more sense to me than Silentstorm becoming some forgetful mist-creature, so I went with that instead. This did, however, lead me to the problem of what to do with Silentstorm's friends. I knew I didn't want them fighting Shade, as I wanted to make it clear that she was too powerful for the living to fight. But now that I'd gotten rid of the idea of them fighting their way through the Dark Forest, I wasn't sure how to include them in the battle. I finally came up with the idea of letting Shade bring some of Breeze's old followers into the fight. It allowed Silentstorm's friends to participate in the fight, and it offered a way to bring some closure to some of those cats from Breeze's group that ran off after the Code's Battle. By the by, Shrew was originally supposed to be killed by Tigerstar and Olivestar during the Code's Battle, but I decided bringing her back in the Silent Battle and having her die there would feel more satisfying.

Anyway, by this point I had the ending pretty much down – I think I got this all sorted around somewhere around when I was writing Code of the Forest, but it might have been when I was still writing Trail of Ashes. But at this point, Eeltooth, Darkbreeze, Blazeheart, and Silentstorm were all still slated to die. Instead of being killed by a badger and then sacrificing her memories, I was just going to have Silentstorm die from her wounds after defeating Shade – the others were pretty much going to die the same way as before (Cosmo was originally not going to be notified of his kits until after Darkbreeze' death, when Nightfern would then travel to the city to let him know of Darkbreeze's death and the birth of the kits, and then he would come to WindClan to raise them until they were fully grown, when he would return to the city, but always find time to visit them). It wasn't until some point during either Code of the Forest or Silent Sacrifice that I finally realized that, with the setup I now had, Silentstorm no longer /needed/ to die for Shade to defeated. And that opened up possibilites that I hadn't been thinking of before, of Silentstorm living past the Silent Battle, having a happy life, maybe even having more kits with Lightfoot. If I was going to let Silentstorm live, though, I was loathe to kill Darkbreeze – I could never imagine one living without the other, more so than even her brother or mate. And if I was going to design new kits for Silentstorm, I /definitely/ wanted more kits for Blazeheart, who loved being a father so much. The only one I was really still willing to kill was Eeltooth, and even if I let all of the others live, I certainly wasn't willing to let the Silent Battle end with /nothing/ being sacrificed.

I went back and forth on it for a bit, before finally deciding to let Silentstorm, Darkbreeze, and Blazeheart live. Though I liked the grim feeling of the old endings, there's something more satisfying about this ending, I think. I like Silentstorm and Blazeheart going on to have more kits, I like her getting to serve her Clan longer as a loyal warrior, I like Blazeheart and Ambertalon growing old together in the elder's den, I like Darkbreeze getting to raise her kits together with Cosmo. Sure, part of it was me wimping out when I realized I didn't /have/ to kill the characters I'd come to love. But beyond that, I think it's a more fitting ending, and more satisfying. But of course, not everyone has to agree with me. ^^ But I'm glad I ended EOTW the way I did.

Anywhoo, anything else I meant to confirm... well, Seedlight and Sparktail were originally only going to have three kits, and Shrewkit was the one slated to die. But when I got around to drawing her ref sheet, I ended up liking her design so much that I didn't want to kill her. I then created a new kit for them, Willowkit, for the express purpose of replacing her sister in dying. Duskfire was also originally supposed to die as an apprentice, but I already covered that in an earlier chapter. Jaycloud's name was originally supposed to be Jayflight, but I wanted something a little more unique, and something that didn't sound so close to Jayfeather.

Also, looking back at some of my old notes from when Silentstorm was going to die and become a mist-creature, Jaykit was apparently originally an only kit. The earliest mention of Screechwing that I see is from January of 2015. Huh, I didn't remember that. When I was planning on having Silentstorm die at the end of Code of the Forest, Silent Sacrifice was going to be from the point of view of Blazeheart, Lightfoot, and Ambertalon, as well as a few chapters from the point of view of a mysterious, unnamed character who would eventually be revealed to be Silentstorm, sneaking around the Dark Forest and trying to find the best route to attack Shade, as well as visiting her friend's dreams to prep them for the battle. I also considered a Nightfern POV at one point, but there just wasn't room for it in the final version of SS. Cinderheart and Lionblaze were originally going to have two more litters after Silentstorm and Blazeheart died, but when I decided to let them live I scrapped that. Three of those kits (Sootbird from the second litter, and Yellowleaf and Frostflower from the third) ended up getting recycled as Lichenfall's kits. But there were two more kits from the second litter that just got discarded – Brackenmist, a golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes (named after Brackenfur), and Featherflight, a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes (maybe after Feathertail? I'm not sure).

There was also going to be a thread where, after killing Breeze, Silentstorm realizes that Breeze is just as dangerous in the Dark Forest as he is alive. His dying words were something about promising to get his vengeance and that this isn't over. She goes into the Dark Forest in her dreams (not sure how she got herself there) a few nights later, and is surprised to find Nightfern there as well. She wants to check on Gray, even after everything he did, but she agrees with Silentstorm that Breeze is too dangerous to be left to his own devices in the Dark Forest. They hunt Breeze down, and after he taunts them for a bit or something, they kill his spirit to stop him from becoming a leader in the Dark Forest and threatening the Clans more. They agree to keep this deed a secret between the two of them, even from their families. This book was originally going to be called Secret Keeper for that reason, but when I scrapped that plot, and when I came up with the idea of having the Clans move into the city and the struggles they would have with having the warrior code work there, I came up with the new title, Code of the Forest. Trail of Ashes was also originally supposed to be called Dark Echoes, until I decided I wanted something a little more subtle. The Broken Shadow was going to be Shrouded Stars (I don't remember why or what the original plot was supposed to be, I just have that title written in my notes), and Waning Moon was going to be Secrets of the Shadows (again, not totally sure why).

I think that's all the important stuff I meant to reveal. If there's anything else you're curious about, feel free to ask, although I've probably bombarded you with so much random trivia that you don't even care anymore. :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are the allegiances for the epilogue of Silent Sacrifice. A couple of the characters in ThunderClan got name-dropped in the chapter itself, but here's the full list.
> 
> EDIT: I forgot some stuff I wanted to put in the description for this. It didn't end up fitting, so I put it in the document for the chapter instead, just under it.


End file.
